When power outages are more than a nuisance

We all know what a power outage is like. We stumble through the dark to find our flashlights. We check how much power is left on our phone. We worry about the food in our fridge and wait for the power to come back on. A bit of a nuisance, but usually not a big deal.

Now imagine you use a medical device that depends on electricity. Losing power could mean life or death. In fact, 2.4 million Medicare recipients depend on electricity to run their medical and assistive equipment, which can include ventilators and wheelchairs. And while many of them have reserve batteries, such people may need help when the power goes out, especially if it’s for a long time.

Luckily, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services just released a new tool to help. The HHS emPOWER map tells officials where the highest number of people on Medicare who use medical devices are in their communities. While the map doesn’t capture everyone who uses a device, it helps give planners an idea of how many people may be in need during a power outage. And that way they can plan ahead.

Emergency responders and community planners aren’t the only ones we need to plan ahead for disasters and emergencies. We all need to look out for our neighbors, and getting our communities ready starts with us. Check out what Ready.gov has to say about community preparedness and check out our resources for people with disabilities.

New Get Ready podcast: Why vaccinations are even more important as we age

Immunizations are critical for seniors.
Photo: CDC/ Judy Schmidt

In our latest Get Ready Report podcast, we speak with Steven Cohen, an assistant professor within the Department of Family Medicine and Population Health, Epidemiology Division, at Virginia Commonwealth University. Cohen explains why immunizations are critical for seniors.
 
“Vaccines are so important at every stage of life, and particularly in older adults,” Cohen says. “Our immune systems tend to decline over time.”
 
Because of that vulnerability, seniors are more likely to be hospitalized or die from diseases like pneumonia or the flu, he said.
 
Cohen discusses the myths and facts of vaccinations for seniors in the new podcast. Everyone 6 months and older should receive their flu vaccination annually, even if they received one last year or the formula in the flu shot hasn’t changed.
 
“Getting vaccinated every year is one of the easiest things you can do to prevent a major cause of death, and it’s extremely cheap and usually available,” he said.
 
Listen to the podcast now or read the transcript. For more information on seniors and immunization, take a look at Get Ready’s fact sheet on vaccinations for seniors.