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Between a global pandemic and numerous natural disasters, emergency preparedness has taken on a new significance for many. While emergency situations can be difficult for anyone, they are often especially challenging for those who have a chronic illness like diabetes. Every household should have a basic first-aid kit on hand. But when you have diabetes, the supplies you need go beyond Band-Aids and aspirin. Use this checklist to expand your home’s first-aid kit so you are prepared for any situation.
Learn More:Best Foods to Eat for Diabetes
Place these items in a lightweight, waterproof storage bin with a snap-on lid, and keep the bin next to your basic first-aid kit in a dry, easy-to-access spot. Traveling? Bring your bin in the car or pack the supplies in a small pouch in your suitcase. In addition to an easily accessible emergency kit, we spoke with experts to compile their best tips to keep you safe, healthy and ready for anything.
Your Diabetes Emergency Kit Checklist
Testing Supplies
If you’re taking insulin or hypoglycemic medication
Food + Water
Important Info
Outside the Box
Consider supplies that you use daily or that require refrigeration as part of your kit, but store them elsewhere:
Expert Tips to Help You Prepare
So now that you are well stocked, what should your emergency plan include to help you be ready for anything? We spoke with experts like nurse and certified diabetes education specialist atEmory Healthcare, Joe Trotter, and spokesperson for theAmerican Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, Karl Nadolsky, D.O., to learn their best tips for staying safe in times of uncertainty.
Take Care of Your Health Now
Last, Nadolsky says, stay on top of your regular doctors' appointments to ensure your medications are what they should be. Should an emergency arise, he notes, you don’t want to find—when it’s too late—that the regimen you’re on is no longer adequate, or that the prescription you have is outdated. “Take care of the details while you can now, and you’ll set yourself up for success later,” he says.
Stock Up on Other Supplies
Focus on what you’d need if you were confined to your home for several weeks (include items for entertainment), but also on what you’d take with you in an evacuation. For your emergency kit, the AACE recommends packing a two-day supply of nonperishable foods, and at least a three-day supply of bottled water. First-aid supplies, extra clothing, and extra batteries and chargers also make their list, as do a few less-obvious items, like a pen and notepad for recording blood sugar levels and tracking your general state of health.
Shore Up Your Social Support
Joe Trotter, for his part, made it through the hardest weeks of COVID-19 without tapping any of the emergency supplies he assembled at the start of the pandemic. Like a lot of people, however, he leaned on family and friends, and that’s a strategy he’d recommend to anyone with diabetes. “Having social support is always important for any chronic condition, just so you don’t feel alone,” he says. As you work on your emergency plan, he suggests, make a list of the people you know you can turn to and talk to when the going gets rough— or whenever you crave a little human contact. Also be sure to write down their numbers (in case your phone dies), and tell them that they’re in your plans so they know that you feel your relationship is valuable.
At Emory Healthcare, Trotter notes, he talks about the need for social support with many of the people he sees. And in the months since the coronavirus first came on the scene? He and his colleagues are still conveying the importance of emergency preparedness, he says, “But now we’re definitely giving it a little more weight because I think we’ve all seen how important it really is.”
Emergency Preparedness Resources
Looking for more information? The following organizations provide resources and guidance that can help you put together a custom diabetes emergency preparedness plan. You can find videos, checklists, and downloads at these websites.
Association of Diabetes Care and Education Specialists
DiabetesEducator.org/Living-With-Diabetes/ Disaster-Preparedness
American Diabetes Association
Diabetes.org/Resources/Disaster-Relief
American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists
MyDiabetesEmergencyPlan.com
Diabetes Disaster Response Coalition
DiabetesDisasterResponse.org
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