You Need an Emergency Medical Plan
One of the scariest aspects of a post-disaster scenario is the lack of medical care we may be able to access.
Clinics and hospitals might not be functional if the electrical grid goes down, and even if they are, they will be short staffed and overloaded with patients.
If we’re suddenly cast into crisis mode, we’re going to wish we had kept up with all our doctor’s and dentist’s appointments. We’re also going to lament the fact that any medicines we take on a regular basis will run out all too soon.
And if we haven’t put together an extensive first-aid kit, we’re going to wish we had a lot more medical supplies than we do.
Fortunately, the stuff has not yet hit the fan. There is still time to prepare for this possibility, but that time is now.
You and your family need a medical preparation strategy to go along with all your planning for emergency food, water, clothes and other essential items.
Here are some of the steps you can take to be as prepared as possible:
- Ask your doctor for “advances” on your medications. Explain to him or her your interest in preparedness and your desire to have at least three months’ worth of medications in hand. Assuming none of those meds have expiration dates shorter than that, there’s no reason why you could not do this with most medications. There’s no telling how long a crisis will last, but entering that situation with three months’ worth of medications sure beats three weeks’ worth.
- Build a substantial first-aid kit. Think about all the pills and treatments you and your family members use on occasion now, and stock up on each. This can range from acetaminophen, ibuprofen and aspirin to cold and allergy meds, antacids, anti-diarrheal pills and vitamins. Don’t forget to include bandages, gauze, medical tape, burn ointment, splints and cotton balls.
- Store them the right way. With items such as bandages, how you store them is not particularly important, although you should keep moisture away from them. But medications are different, and if they are exposed to too much air, extreme temperatures and sunlight, it’s possible they could lose some of their potency. When possible, keep them in sturdy storage boxes to protect them from the elements.
- Plan to keep it cool. Do you or any of your family members take medications that require refrigeration? That could be a big problem if the grid goes down and an even bigger problem if you have to bug out rather than hunker down at home. Insulin is an example of a med that needs to be kept between 36-46 degrees Fahrenheit. But some newer types don’t require that, and may be worth looking into. Either way you should own a solar-powered generator.
- Practice basic first-aid techniques. There’s a good chance medical help might be unavailable during a crisis, so the more you can do for yourself or your family members, the better. Maybe you can’t perform surgery, but by taking a first-aid training course, you’ll be able to do a lot more than you might think. It will be worth your time, even if a major crisis never occurs.
- Keep comprehensive paperwork. Your bug-out bag should include documentation for every family member’s health history and current medications. Even if you have everything memorized, you might not be around when someone needs to access that information to help one of your family members, so be sure to include it.
- Learn local disaster plans. The more self-sufficient you are, the greater the chances that you won’t need any relief from government agencies. But it’s better to know what they offer and not need it than it is to not know what they offer and then need it. Find out where emergency shelters are located and what they plan to offer in terms of medical assistance in case of a disaster.
- Plan to help others. You and your family members are your top priority when it comes to dealing with a crisis. But if you have neighbors who are unlikely to be able to help themselves in that type of situation, you might want to include them in your plans. Find out in advance what they might require in terms of medical help in an emergency.
Who do you contact to find out where emergency shelters are and what services they have?
Don’t worry too much about keeping meds “fresh.”
With few exceptions, they can be kept at least for two-three years without losing effectiveness.
Note: US Gov. has “disaster” units, complete with
MEDICATIONS stored at airports worldwide. They
don’t seem worried about expiration!
Being a health care provider for 28 years and understanding the postantibiotic era there are certain herbs one should have in their medicine chest. Tinctures are the best to store and will last for years unopened. baikal Skullcap is a antiinflamatory herb that works extremely well for systemic inflammation. There are other herbs that are antibacterial and work as well as antibiotics which I won’t mention here because they need to be used within the correct context.
Regards, James stivaly LMT
Energenx.org
Not everybody can afford $97, for most people money is really, really tight, regardless what those ” Idiots” in Washington are trying to feed(tell) us. Can’t you put something together thats like half or a quarter of the price off these eggs and other products you sell. I would like to try a lot of things you offer but even your sample packs i think are still to expensive for the average person. I heard on the radio today that 73% of the working population is living paycheck to paycheck and cannot afford to buy anything extra.
I thought I was ready. , As a former Marine Sgt, retired state law enforcement , and years in the civil Air Patrol, I thought I had the basic skills
To survive. All that training, skills, and
Mental fortitude almost went out my front door as the eye of hurricane Irma passed by my house at 1545 hrs this Sunday. My post hurricane evaluation- I failed miserably. When it was all over , I had enough food for 2 days and no power, no running water, and I was blocked in my neighborhood. Needless to say, I cried like a baby saluting the blackhawk Hilo flying above. I finally evacuated after the trees were removed. Why the tears, each tear drop represented each of my failures.
A failure to measure the extent of the
Emergency. A failure to fully understand what exactly the authorities are saying and not saying.
And lastly, the failure to evacuate when the big boys tell you so.
In the military, Recon goes out and tells the generals what to expect in terms of a SALUTE report. If these reports tells the generals that a large force is in its way that may wipe out your small unit , you simply leave to fight another day. I didn’t listen to my Recon- the news. I didn’t care what Recon had to say all I heard was we are going to die and drown a horrible
Death. I thought it was funny at the time and began strategizing that this won’t happen this can’t happen and Recon must be exaggerating . We are the generals of our family and if the reports are coming in that a large force is coming your way; are you going to sacrifice your troops needlessly? Are you going to sacrifice your family for Recon reports that you are not authorized or an expert to interpret? That’s exactly what I did, this general didn’t pay attention to his Recon ( the news the weather men –
The experts) and in the end ended up overwhelmed and in military terms-
My unit was overrun ! My family made it buy my failures to Listen for the facts and use nick pick interpretation could have killed my wife and daughter. All the preparation in the world couldn’t prepare you for a worse case natural event.
Listen don’t interprete
Good planning can prevent future problems for sure. When I was a project manager for I.B.M. we used what I refer to as the 6 P factor which is:
Piss poor planning promotes poor performance. It’s true. The wall I’ve come against is the fact I’m disabled and basically live because of pain meds
Your NOT getting a three month supply of those! It’s a huge concern with people who have disabilities that require them. I do what I can and put my trust in God for the remainder as I hope by now everyone should know that you can’t trust the government….
People should look for and be in contact withy their local C.E.R.T. (Community Emergency Responce Team). Probably attached to local Fire Department.
for help in doing all the things you suggest (which is a very good statrt)
I have a question. I have magnetically operated valve in my head to pump off extra spinal fluid from the brain. I usually have it adjusted once a year by a simple but incredibly expensive tool and as far as I know the only one in the state. (Alaska). How do you think an EMP would affect it. The medical people I have asked are ignorant as to what an EMP is.
This might be a good time to discover the benefits of some alternative sources like essential oils, herbals, and homeopathic remedies. They cover a multitude of health issues and many have a very long shelf life. They may not serve as substitutes for your prescribed drugs, but they can help with a lot of things and make you more comfortable in a tough situation.
Unfortunately I live in northern New England, cold and short growing season. Fortunately I’m Mormon and vegetarian, living in the country with Mormon neighbors who farm. I need to get more vegetable protein in my supplies, and a wood stove for back-up heat. I find your postings very helpful. Thanks
Very good info in preparing for a medical emergency. My wife and I last year took and were certified in the FEMA CERT program. CERT stands for Community Emergency Response Team. It’s meant to have trained citizens to help out when the local authorities are overwhelmed in crisis situations. The county where we live is always running new courses in order to have the citizens trained in multiple specialties. Here is the website to obtain further information:
https://www.ready.gov/community-emergency-response-team
God bless
Wow! Sounds like you are already doing all the right things, Renae.
When I put together our emergency first aid kit, I also purchased a paramedic trauma bag and IV kits as well. I do not know how to use most of it past the basic first aid but my thought process is, first responders are going to run out of supplies before they get to my home so having my own supplies available will be perfect.
We have all meds rotated so they don’t expire and some we have a 6 month supply of. Every time we fill a prescription, the oldest gets used first. Store bought meds I buy when we use 2 or more bottles. Most meds are good for a year or two if stored properly.
We have 3 copies of all of our important documents and med lists regularly updated in our home bags, family bug out bag and in our 2nd location.
I made copies of educational dvd’s as well as some books with photos for minor injury repairs including stitches, a medication dictionary, and these are in our medical bags at both locations.
Remember to keep supplies at a second location in case your home is compromised before you can get there.
I also started taking classes to build my medical knowledge. I feel confident i can handle many minor wounds and teach others to care for minor wounds after a crisis hits.
Good luck.