What would you do if you have to suddenly evacuate your home because of a natural disaster? How about if you are stranded for several days because of a power outage, snow storm, hurricane or tornado?
September is
“National Preparedness Month.” Today’s post is about being prepared, not scared.
It’s common for
people to wait until just the day before a hurricane, blizzard or other event
is about to happen and make a mad dash to the store only to be greeted by bare
shelves. Many events happen without any warning, such as earthquakes and fires.
Consequently, the better prepared you
are now, the better you’ll deal with an emergency.
In addition to
having sufficient medical supplies (7-10 day supply of prescription medications),
water and food to last 72 hours, as well as protect important documents and
medical records, there are specific things you might need depending on your
condition.
Register
with local agencies if
you will need help evacuating or need to be checked on at home. If
your state doesn’t have a registry, contact your local fire department and/or
police department as they will be heading up rescue operations if they are
needed. They can also advise you about special programs to register for.
Know your
state’s emergency management program/protocols. Every state has an emergency
management division usually within their Department of Public Safety. You can
find your state’s program by googling the name of your state with “emergency
management.” Read through the website as it can help you prepare for emergencies
specific to your area.
Know the
alerts for your area:
Depending on your community, there can be specific sirens and alerts depending
on the type of emergency. Know the best
places (radio stations and websites) to monitor the emergency situation.
Wear a
medical alert bracelet or other ID
Know your
exact diagnosis
Carry your
insurance card along with medical provider information (Name, phone number, e-mail address, hospital
they are affiliated with). Also have written down the medications you are on,
dosages, and other relevant information.
Depending on
medication, keep some in multiple places: This includes oxygen
Consider
registering with a life alert program
as you can contact them even if there is a power outage and phone lines are
down.
Create a
plan with family and friends:
Use the Ready Guide to help you.
Make a plan
with your medical provider:
Depending on where you live, as well as your chronic condition, it’s important that
you know where to go to get immediate medical help you may need in the event of
an emergency. This is particularly true for those on dialysis and certain respiratory
diseases.
Emergency
Preparedness by Condition
• Cancer
• Diabetes
• Epilepsy
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