Protecting Home Medical Equipment From Summer Storm Power Outages
Lightning, thunder, dark skies and sirens during summer storms are upsetting. Yet power outages from thunderstorms and tornadoes can be very dangerous for kids who depend on home health care equipment.
When storms hit, children may become upset and clingy. You may become anxious at the possibility of losing power for your child’s medical equipment.
Be prepared to weather summer storms
Here are some steps you can take now to keep your children calm during storms, and to weather power outages without interrupting your child’s home health care equipment and its functions.
How to calm kids during summer storms
- Stay near children during the storm, comforting them and getting their minds off the storm with games, stories, snacks, books and songs
- Keep flashlights and batteries handy
- Be attentive, but not glued to news sources about approaching weather; Avoid having children listen to or watch weather coverage nonstop
- Tornado watch or warning? Go to a basement, windowless room or storm shelter with:
- Essential medical equipment and supplies
- Backup batteries
- Flashlight and batteries
- Battery-operated radio
Emergency backup plans for kids’ home care equipment
PHS helps families prepare emergency backup plans for their child’s overall care, which includes arrangements for generators, batteries or transport to a medical facility. Special considerations:
- Respiratory needs: Many pieces of equipment require constant supply of electricity; Have alternative sources of power available such as extra, fully-charged batteries or a generator.
- IV and pharmacy needs: Medicines often require refrigeration, so when power goes out, refrigerators stop running. Keep a cooler and ice on hand to keep medication properly chilled.
- Curlin pumps: Use C-cell batteries to keep the pump running. Keep a supply of extra, fully-charged batteries on hand.
- Food pump and formula needs: When a food pump is not in use, PHS recommends charging it so it is fully charged in case of a power outage. If power is lost and your food pump does not have a charged battery, you may use a gravity bag. If you are uncertain how to use a gravity bag, contact PHS.
- Keep mixed formulas in a refrigerator when the power goes out until the refrigerator can no longer keep items cold. If the refrigerator cannot keep formula cold during a power outage, discard the formula and mix smaller amounts as needed.
How do you keep your children calm during storms? What’s your backup plan for medical equipment in case of a power outage? Do you have tips to prepare for severe weather and its impact?
We’d love to hear from you.
Originally published: August 6, 2010