During a disaster, you care for patients who do not require hospitalization or cannot be admitted into overwhelmed health care facilities. Depleted supplies, personnel shortages, and other challenges during times of crisis may strain your ability to address your patients’ needs. Good preparedness planning is essential for ensuring that the needs of patients, their service animals - and you, their caregiver - are met in the most effective and professional manner possible.
When planning for contingencies, you must consider a variety of hazards and events that could impact your patients. Hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, earthquakes, tsunamis, wildfires, radiation releases, chemical exposures, seasonal and pandemic influenza, and acts of terrorism are just a few examples.
There are simple measures that you can implement to increase the personal readiness of your patients and yourselves. Additionally, becoming familiar with existing emergency response plans, processes, and procedures in both your workplace and community is a critical component of preparedness.
Once you are armed with the necessary resources, help your patients, their family members, and other caregivers to be informed, get a kit and make a plan. You play a vital role in disaster preparedness because your patients depend on you for continuity of care during a catastrophic event.