Emergency Preparedness Guide for Ostomates

You may already be familiar with the concept of emergency preparedness. And if you live in an area which is prone to any particular type of emergency, you may already have done something for you and your family to deal with that emergency condition. The immediate aftermath of an emergency can created a situation which might include disruption in electricity, water, and shipping. It means that you might have to live without certain things you depend upon in your daily life. That is the reason that you need to have an emergency preparedness solution comprising of flashlight, water storage, and power generation solutions. But what if you have a medical condition; such as an ostomy? This condition is a whole new reason why you need to be prepared for any emergency situation.

The emergency preparedness requirements for ostomates are all about gathering all of the important supplies that can provide a backup for a minimum number of days until the emergency situation is over. You cannot really go out during an emergency situation to get your supplies. You cannot wait for your shipments to arrive because shipping services do not enter into the areas that are hit by weather and several other types of emergencies. That is why you need to have everything you require to take care of your ostomy during an emergency situation.

So the question here is; how much is the minimum amount of supplies that you need to have in your ostomy emergency kit? Well, it is certainly a good idea to have at least 3 weeks’ worth of supplies in that kit. And you need to maintain this kit especially when you need these items to be shipped to you. You need to have a preemptive approach if you are living in east or west coast because it normally takes 7 business days for your items to be shipped to you. So 3 weeks is certainly not a lot of time.

Emergency ostomy supplies

• Since you will be in the need of quicker solutions, you need to have cut-to-fit ostomy bags to meet your needs for 3 weeks.
• A stoma opening hole cutter or scissors
• Waterproof plastic bin to hold all of your supplies comfortably
• Water for cleaning
• Skin cleanser; make sure that it doesn’t include added oils or fragrance
• Ostomy pouch liners
• Ostomy disposal bags
• Adhesive remover solutions
• Skin prep wipes
• Exam gloves

Remember, your preparedness is not all about maintaining the supplies. Rather, you will need to be ready to handle the emergency. You should have written documentation of your medical condition. You can refer to this information to treat yourself because any emergency preparedness involves preparation for the scenario in which the networks are down and you do not have access to medical specialists.