Tips to Help Dialysis Patients Stay Safe during Severe Weather

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.

Any patient in need of dialysis treatment, regardless of their current provider, can call FMCNA’s national hotline at 1-800-626-1297 for information about available local treatment. The hotline is staffed by customer service specialists who can provide locations and contact numbers for alternate facilities, if necessary.

Most dialysis patients need treatment every two to three days. Getting treatments can be a matter of life or death for patients when natural disasters occur.

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 if severe weather is forecasted for your area.