May is Emergency Preparedness Month!

Every May, BC Renal and our Emergency Management Committee work to
raise awareness about emergency preparedness among kidney patients
and care teams.

For 2022, we’re pleased to share the latest resources:

NEW: Guideline for health professionals: Preparing for Hemodialysis Staffing Emergencies
Patient handbook: Emergency Preparedness Information for Dialysis Patients
– also available in Chinese (中文) and Punjabi (ਪੰਜਾਬੀ)
Emergency preparedness poster
– also available in Chinese (中文) and Punjabi (ਪੰਜਾਬੀ)
Dialysis patient wallet card, with info for emergency responders and key tips about fluid intake and diet in emergency situations (produced in partnership with the BC Renal Dietitians’ group)
– also available in Chinese (中文) and Punjabi (ਪੰਜਾਬੀ)
Peritoneal dialysis (PD) patient wallet card* This card identifies an individual as a PD patient and has a scannable QR code that contains care-provider contact information and more. *Note: This card is to be given to patients by their PD nurse as additional patient education goes along with it. Connect with your PD team for additional information.

Emergency preparedness video for patients

Check out our 1-minute emergency preparedness video on the BC Renal Youtube Channel, available in English, Chinese (中文) and Punjabi (ਪੰਜਾਬੀ). The video explains ways in which patients requiring dialysis can prepare for major emergencies such as wildfires, floods and earthquakes, and includes helpful tips for everyone. See How Dialysis Patients Can Prepare for Power Outages and Other Disasters - YouTube

Quick tips for emergency preparedness

Make sure you have a minimum of three days worth of food and supplies. It’s ideal to have up to two weeks worth if possible. Don’t forget to include medications, a good supply of water, and pet needs in your planning.
Patients: Remember to have your emergency wallet card easily available or better yet, wear a "medical alert" identifier such as a bracelet, to help medical workers know about your dialysis or transplant needs.
Home dialysis patients: If possible, try to keep some basic dialysis supplies in case of emergencies, or if you need to go to a different care facility than usual.

More info and resources

BCRenal.ca > Health Info > Managing My Care > Emergency Preparedness

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Health professionals, learn about PROMIS Emergency Planning Module

PROMIS Change Lead Charles Hoare recently connected with Janie MacDonald, Data Management Coordinator at Interior Health, about how the PROMIS Emergency Planning Module was used to assist teams during an emergency situation. Click here for their conversation and to learn how to access module training.

Take our quiz and you could win a prize!

Emergency Preparedness Week is May 2 - 7. Take this week's "Patient At-Home Preparedness Week" quiz to test your skill and enter to win one of two emergency kits stocked for four people. Complete the quiz to enter the draw!

Emergency Prep Quiz

Thanks for helping us make Emergency Prep Month a success!