HEALTH WATCH: Medical Reminders to Help You Prepare for Hurricane Irma

BREVARD COUNTY • TITUSVILLE, FLORIDA – Parrish Medical Center in Titusville issued a public advisory to area residents on how to stay organized and cope with the impending Hurricane Irma.

Get a 30-day supply of necessary medications.

If you are taking prescription medications and normally purchase them from your local pharmacy, try to have a 30-day supply on hand.

This is not as easy as it sounds — many insurance companies will not authorize the filling of additional days or months worth of a medication unless ordered by the state to do so in emergency situations, such as natural disasters.

Make your medication plan now. This plan should include speaking with a health insurance representative, pharmacist or your physician about options to acquire extra medications, one of which may include paying cash for your 30-day supply.

Call your dialysis center for a temporary plan of care.

If you are on dialysis, call your dialysis center to make a plan of action for your care. Do not miss a treatment prior to bad weather and make sure to follow your doctor-ordered diet very closely.

Read the patient care information provided to you by your doctor. It includes medical information to assist you and phone numbers to the End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Network.

Only your doctor can recommend if it is medically safe for you to miss treatments and can advise you on whether or not you should be admitted to a hospital during a hurricane.

Special needs shelters do not offer dialysis and some centers may be closed during a hurricane. When the storm passes, contact your dialysis center for further instructions or go to your hospital for short-term care if your center is closed.

The hospital is not a county shelter.

County shelters are designated throughout the county, mostly in elementary schools. The hospital is not a designated shelter and does not take evacuees.

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If you are oxygen dependent, make shelter arrangements

You may be eligible for care at a special needs shelter, based on your medical needs and availability. If you are an oxygen-dependent person, be sure to get your oxygen tanks filled.

You should try to have two days worth of oxygen on hand. Also make shelter arrangements now. If you do not plan to evacuate, contact the Brevard County Office of Emergency Management at 321-637-6670 for more information on how to register for special needs shelter.

If you wait until a hurricane hits to make shelter arrangements, it will be too late.

General Preparation for a Hurricane

For complete information on what you can do to prepare for a disaster or hurricane, go online to the Brevard County Office of Emergency Management Web site at Brevardcounty.us/EOC. You will find valuable information to help prepare your home and family before a hurricane strikes.

STAY TUNED TO SPACE COAST DAILY FOR HURRICANE UPDATES

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