The first major snowstorm of 2010 brought blizzards and sub-zero temperatures that created hazardous driving conditions and other disruptions in communities across the Midwest. People on dialysis typically need treatment every two to three days, so they are particularly vulnerable when inclement weather knocks out electricity or makes travel to their clinics difficult. Any delays in treatment can be life threatening, so it's important for patients to be prepared for the worst.
“Severe weather can be a matter of life or death for dialysis patients, because they require treatment on a regular basis”
Fresenius Medical Care North America (FMCNA), the nation's leading network of dialysis facilities, reminds dialysis patients to take precautions now so they are not caught off guard when severe weather hits in their home community.
FMCNA recommends that dialysis patients have the following plans in place:
- Keep your emergency phone numbers handy. When bad weather threatens, contact your local facility and follow instructions they may provide. FMCNA offers a patient hotline at 1-800-626-1297, for any FMCNA or non-FMCNA patients who need help finding the nearest open dialysis facility in a disaster. The hotline is staffed by customer service specialists who can provide locations and contact numbers for alternate facilities, if necessary.
- Have a disaster plan. Talk to your doctor, dialysis care team and family about your disaster plan — what you should do and where you should go if a disaster strikes. Keep track of local weather forecasts.
- Keep proper emergency supplies on hand. Have ready access to a first-aid kit, flashlight (with extra batteries), blankets, battery-powered radio, cell phone, non-electric can opener and any necessary medications.
- Make sure you have a ride. If you are an in-center patient, arrange for backup transportation to the clinic with a friend, neighbor or family member.
- Plan for power outages. If you are a home dialysis patient and you lose power, follow the directions given to you by the home training staff for continuing dialysis in an emergency.
- Adjust your insulin. If you are diabetic, ask your doctor how to adjust your insulin dosage during winter storm emergencies.
"Severe weather can be a matter of life or death for dialysis patients, because they require treatment on a regular basis," said Bill Numbers, FMCNA vice president of operations support and incident commander for disaster response and planning. "We have extensive disaster preparedness plans to keep our clinics running, but it's equally important that patients have emergency supplies and plans in place during the winter season."
FMCNA is committed to disaster preparedness, and the company has robust plans in place to move quickly to provide emergency backup generators, water and fuel to help keep the clinics running without interruptions. When severe storms hit the mid-Atlantic region last winter, FMCNA made sure its facilities continued to operate by supplying emergency backup generators to clinics and staff so they could come to work to care for patients. For example, last year FMCNA deployed a mobile generator truck to Pittsburgh clinics so they could remain open and care for dialysis patients, some of whom were scheduled to dialyze at competitor clinics that were closed due to storm conditions.
Dialysis is a life-sustaining process that cleans waste products from the blood, removes extra fluids and controls the body's chemistry when a person's kidneys fail. Dialysis patients typically require treatment on an ongoing basis unless they receive a kidney transplant.
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