Emergency Preparedness Tips
1. Obtain information about emergency situations unique to your community before they happen. It is your responsibility to prepare for any emergencies that are unique to your community and to have alternate plans arranged in advance. For example if your area is prone to tidal flooding you need to make us aware of this problem and to make prior arrangements for shelter. If you have no relatives in the area where you can stay until the emergency is over, you should contact the Emergency Preparedness Coordinator for you municipality, you can usually find their number in the blue pages of the phone book under your particular municipality — check under the headings of Emergency Management, Emergency Preparedness, Public Safety or the local police department number. If you feel that you can stay in your home but that access to your area may be cut off, you must make us aware of this situation in advance so we can arrange for you to have ample supplies of medication and equipment on hand if an emergency situation is expected.
2. Always follow guidelines and instructions provided by local Law Enforcement, Civil Defense, and Emergency Preparedness Agencies.
3. For patients utilizing equipment that requires electricity (infusion pumps, battery packs, enteral pumps) your electric company will place you on priority restoration in the event of a power outage. YOU must contact them to request this service. We are not able to request the service on your behalf. They may require a note from your physician stating the necessity for the equipment. Policies among utility companies vary but all are willing to help their customers with special needs.
In the event of a power outage we recommend that you:
- Contact your utility provider to determine what the problem is and how long they anticipate it will be until power is restored.
- Place medications requiring refrigeration in a cooler packed with ice.
- Be sure you have extra batteries if your pump uses them.
- Pole mounted pumps have internal batteries that last approximately 3 hours depending on volume and rate of infusion. Be sure to contact Home Solutions if you estimate the internal battery will not complete your next infusion. We will make arrangements for another pump to be provided or direct you to a facility where power is available.
4. If physically possible, go to nearest shelter when directed by local authorities.
5. In the event that your service should be interrupted by severe weather, natural disaster, or emergency, Home Solutions’ staff will make all possible efforts to contact you. If it becomes necessary for you to evacuate your residence, we ask that you notify Home Solutions of your new location as soon as possible.
6. If unable to contact Home Solutions’ clinician for information or supplies during an emergency, contact a local emergency room for assistance.
7. If advanced warnings of an impending disaster are given, notify Home Solutions if you anticipate a loss of power or will need additional medications, supplies, or nursing services just prior to or during the events.
8. Notify local power Supply Company of power failure. Report special patient needs for back — up generator or priority return of power.
9. When a disaster occurs, notify Home Solutions if you experience a loss of power, supplies or medications. Manually adjust medication infusion rates or stop infusions as instructed by your Home Solutions clinician or physician whenever power failure occurs. If an infusion pump is required for your therapy or additional supplies or medications are needed during a disaster, hospitalization may be required. Place drugs in cooler for storage.
10. Unplug pumps before water comes in contact with poles or when power supplies are unsafe or failing.
11. Utilize other sources of light such as flashlights. Caution: Do not use matches until you have checked for gas leaks.
If you are physically unable to get out of bed by yourself, and need to evacuate your residence, instruct your family/caregiver to:
- Place sheet or strong blanket under patient
- Tie knot in head and foot of sheet
- If two people available for rescue, make chair (from rescuers’ arm) and carry patient to safety.
12. In the event of an emergency there are a few items you should have on hand. Store a battery operated transistor radio and spare batteries, have on hand emergency lighting such as lanterns, and/or a working flashlight with spare batteries, a pipe wrench for gas, water, and shut-off valves, plenty of batteries, blankets, fuel-wood or heating oil, provide for stored canned food and milk, a can opener and a supply of safe drinking water, an ice cooler with ice for storing medications, and a basic first-aid kit. Use back-up generator whenever available. Specifically regarding your therapy you should always maintain a 2-day safety stock of supplies.
13. Contact Phone Company to register for priority list in case of phone service interruption.
14. Stay away from windows, broken glass, and wear shoes at all times.
15. After the disaster occurs, check all residents for injuries.
16. Check home for water/gas valve leaks.
