Medications, Kids, Elders & Pets

Medications

• Keep at least a 2-week supply of every prescription. Ask your doctor or pharmacist about an early refill or a 90-day supply; many insurers allow it.
• Keep a written list of every medication, dose, prescribing doctor and pharmacy.
• Know which meds are critical and what happens if a dose is missed.
• Store over-the-counter basics: pain reliever, fever reducer, allergy medicine, anti-diarrhea medicine, electrolytes.

Medications that need refrigeration

Insulin and some other medicines (certain eye drops, injectables, liquid antibiotics) need cold storage. During an outage:

• Most insulin can be kept at room temperature (up to about 86°F) for up to 28 days once out of the fridge — check your product's label. Keep it out of direct sun and heat, and never let it freeze.
• A small cooler with ice packs keeps it cool. Don't put insulin directly on ice — wrap it in a cloth.
• Evaporative cooling cases (like Frio-style pouches) work well for days without ice.
• If medicine looks cloudy, clumped or discolored when it shouldn't, replace it.

When in doubt, call your pharmacist. Pharmacists can often give emergency refills during declared disasters.

Powered medical equipment

If someone depends on oxygen, a CPAP, a nebulizer, a power wheelchair, a feeding pump or home dialysis:

• Register with your utility as a medical-needs customer. Avista and other utilities keep lists for priority notification. (It doesn't guarantee faster restoration.)
• Know how long each device's battery lasts, and keep spares charged.
• A portable power station can run a CPAP all night (most use 30–60 watts; turn off the humidifier to save power). See Backup power.
• Oxygen users: keep a backup supply of tanks that don't need power, and keep oxygen away from flames, candles and generators.
• Have a plan to go somewhere with power — a relative, hospital, or shelter — before the batteries run out.

Babies and young kids

• Ready-to-feed formula (needs no water) for 2 weeks, bottles, and a way to clean them
• Diapers, wipes, rash cream for 2 weeks
• Infant fever reducer and a thermometer
• Warm sleepwear and sleep sacks. Don't put loose blankets in a crib — dress babies in extra layers instead.
• Comfort items, books, games and activities that don't need power
• Talk with kids about what happens in an emergency, calmly and in simple words. Let them help pack their own go-bag.

Older adults

• Check on older relatives and neighbors twice a day in an outage, especially in heat or cold. They lose body heat faster and may not notice they're getting too cold or overheated.
• Keep glasses, hearing aids (and batteries), dentures, canes and walkers in one place.
• Make sure they have a phone that works without power (a charged cell, or a corded landline phone if they have copper landline service).
• Write emergency contacts and medical info on a card they carry.

Pets and livestock

Pet kit (for each animal):

• 2 weeks of food and water, bowls
• Medications and copies of vaccination records
• Leash, harness, and a carrier or crate
• Litter box and litter, or waste bags
• Recent photo of you with your pet (proves ownership)
• Microchip registered with your current phone number

Plan ahead: many shelters now accept pets, but not all. Know which hotels, friends or kennels outside your area will take them. Never leave pets behind in an evacuation — if it isn't safe for you, it isn't safe for them.

Livestock and horses: have a trailer ready (or a neighbor with one), a place to go, halters for every animal, and ID on each (tags, brands, photos). Store extra hay and water. In a wildfire, if you can't move them, open gates and let them loose rather than leaving them trapped.

Sources: FDA — Insulin storage in emergencies · Ready.gov — Pets · Ready.gov — Individuals with Disabilities · Ready.gov — Older Adults