JULY CF SENIOR SATURDAY MEETING RECAP
by Karen Currie, Ph.D.
Introduction
Extreme weather issues dominate today’s news: tornadoes, fires, hurricanes, and flooding rains, to name just a few. Individuals with chronic illnesses can’t expect their specialized medications and equipment to be readily available in an emergency from shelters or the corner drugstore.
Key Takeaways
The CFF/Compass, American Red Cross, AARP, CDC, FEMA, and local authorities offer resources online to help you plan and gather necessary supplies.
The CFF provides information online for emergency planning, including checklists of actions to take before and after disasters occur.
The CF Navigator: Personal Health Toolkit, soon to be released by the Aging with CF Special Interest Group, allows you to document medical and contact information as part of your emergency planning efforts.
Some states have sales tax holidays for emergency supplies; check with local authorities.
Benefits of Preparedness
Individuals with CF must plan ahead to ensure they can maintain their daily treatment routines; preparing for future weather extremes and other emergencies requires you to manage information, supplies, and equipment within the context of an uncertain environment.
Preparedness is an investment of your time, effort, and resources to ensure your future health, comfort, and security.
Personal Insights
Living through the challenges of Winter Storm Uri in Texas in February of 2021 with my invalid husband sparked my serious interest in disaster planning. We experienced rolling blackouts for a week during snow, high winds, and freezing temperatures. I never knew when there would be electricity to operate my airway clearance machines.
Recommendations from fellow attendees:
Keep your important documents and medications in plastic bags and/or boxes.
Have bottled water and non-perishable food like granola bars on hand.
Ask your local power company to give you priority assistance in an outage.
Consider the use of generators, but understand the precautions needed.
Don’t forget cash, masks, hand sanitizer, soap, weather radio, chargers, and cords/adapters for electronics; always have a backup plan!
Conclusion
The CFSS attendees were enthusiastic and recognized the importance of planning for emergencies, sharing their experiences as many had lived through the aftermath of severe storms, hurricanes, fires, and other disasters.
Adults with CF are accustomed to planning for their unique medical needs; with time and effort, they can also be successful in planning for extreme weather challenges.
Call to Action
Start your emergency planning by reviewing these tools from the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and downloading the recommended checklists.
Disaster and Emergency Preparedness Plan | Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (cff.org)
Start working on the checklists and filling out forms (Use CF Navigator: Personal Health Toolkit when released).
Start with available information first, then research the rest.
Additional detailed information, including essentials for emergency kits, is available from the following sources:
How to Prepare for Fires, Hurricanes, and Other Emergencies (aarp.org)
FEMA App (Google Play and Apple App Store)
Save digital copies of your completed plans and checklists on your computer, tablet, or thumb drive; email or text yourself so you have copies on your phone; and keep hard copies readily available for quick updates or reference.
Focus initially on medication lists/availability, emergency power sources, key documents, and likely local weather challenges and potential disasters; download apps from FEMA, NOAA, and local sources.
Dual usage: Many resources and lists of information necessary for emergency preparedness are already available in your plans for travel, medical appointments, and/or hospitalization.
Don’t forget to plan for your pets! Food, water, leash/cages; take a selfie w/pet, have vaccination records.
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