#PrepYourHealth for Power Outages

A young woman and boy make hand shadow puppets using a flashlight against a white wall.

October is Energy Awareness Month

Power outages (i.e., when the electrical power goes out unexpectedly) and precautionary power shutoffs are happening more often because of and to prevent emergencies. These emergencies include disasters, such as hurricanes and wildfires.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) says, on average, U.S. electricity customers experienced just over 8 hours of electric power interruptions in 2020. That was the most since EIA began collecting electricity reliability data in 2013.(1)

The EIA further reported that customers in Alabama, Iowa, Connecticut, Oklahoma, and Louisiana experienced the most time with interrupted power in 2020. Severe weather was a factor in all these states.

  • Alabama experienced several hurricanes, including a direct hit from Hurricane Sally.
  • Tropical Storm Isaias left about 750,000 electricity customers in Connecticut without power. Some didn’t have power for over a week.
  • A derecho affected Iowa and other parts of the Midwest. It caused widespread power outages, damaged grid infrastructure, and forced the early retirement of Iowa’s only nuclear power plant.
  • An ice storm in October was to blame for widespread power outages across Oklahoma.
  • Louisiana experienced three hurricanes and two tropical storms.(1)

The impacts of power outages and power shutoffs are felt by everyone. Here are some ways you can prepare your health for a power outage.

Be Power Prepared

Be prepared to be without electricity during an emergency and, possibly, for several days after.

A power outage can affect people’s ability to use devices and the availability of refrigeration. This makes it especially important that people who rely on durable medical equipment and refrigerated medicines like insulin take steps to prepare. For example:

  • Identify emergency lighting, safe heating alternatives, and backup power sources for your mobile devices, appliances, and medical equipment.
  • Create an emergency power plan that includes model and serial numbers for your medical devices.
  • Read the user manual or contact the manufacturer to find out if your medical device is compatible with batteries or a generator.
  • Fully charge your cellphone, battery-powered medical devices, and backup power sources if you know a disaster, such as a hurricane, is coming.
  • If possible, buy manual alternatives for your electric devices that are portable, dependable, and durable. For example, a manual wheelchair, walker, or cane as a backup for an electric scooter.

Power outages can also put people at increased risk for post-disaster hazards, such as food and carbon monoxide poisoning.

The effects of emergencies, such as power outages, are experienced differently by different populations.

The places of our lives, including our neighborhoods and built environment, can influence our experience with emergencies.(2)

People who live in rural areas and places with an aging infrastructure may experience more frequent and longer-lasting power outages and face greater adversity because of it. They may also have limited access to the supplies they need to prepare for power outages.

Planning for Power Outages

People who use electricity- and battery-dependent assistive technology and medical devices must have an emergency power plan in case of a power outage.

Checklists are a way to break large jobs down into smaller chores. They can help you pack for a trip, grocery shop, and even prepare for emergencies.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) National Network’s emergency power planning checklist is for people who use electricity and battery-dependent assistive technology and medical devices. These include:

  • Breathing machines (e.g., respirators and ventilators).
  • Power wheelchairs and scooters.
  • Oxygen, suction, or home dialysis equipment.

The Food and Drug Administration’s “How to Prepare for and Handle Power Outages” guide for home medical device users is another useful planning resource. Use it to organize your medical device information, identify the supplies for the operation of your device, and know where to go or what to do during a power outage.

Health Care Preparedness

A power outage or shutoff can limit the operations of hospitals, outpatient clinics, pharmacies, and other patient-care facilities.

Healthcare facilities need electricity to care for patients, provide services, and “keep the lights on.” Since many facilities have resident populations, hygiene and feeding are also part of the electrical demand.

Resilience to power outages begins with the leadership at the facility. Here are some resources to help healthcare facilities plan for and respond to public health emergencies.

Additional resources to help healthcare systems and hospitals plan for public health emergencies are available on the CDC website.

Resources

References

  1. https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=50316
  2. https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/placeandhealth/howdoesPlaceaffectHealth.html

Thanks in advance for your questions and comments on this Public Health Matters post. Please note that CDC does not give personal medical advice. If you are concerned you have a disease or condition, talk to your doctor.

Have a question for CDC? CDC-INFO (http://www.cdc.gov/cdc-info/index.html) offers live agents by phone and email to help you find the latest, reliable, and science-based health information on more than 750 health topics.

Improve Health Literacy Before an Emergency

A worried looking older woman stares at a laptop computer.

October is Health Literacy Month

Getting the right person to deliver the right message at the right time saves lives, but only if the audience can make sense of the message.

People need information they can find, understand, and use to make the best decisions for their health every day. The same is true before and during an emergency when there’s an increase in the amount of information and speed at which it comes out.

Health literacy is all about finding, understanding, and using information and making information findable, understandable, and usable. Health literacy is important to effectively prepare for and safely respond to an emergency like a natural disaster.

Two Parts to Health Literacy

The definition of health literacy was updated in August 2020 to acknowledge health literacy as the shared responsibility of individuals and organizations.

Organizational health literacy is the degree to which organizations equitably help people find, understand, and use information and services to inform health-related decisions and actions for themselves and others.

Personal health literacy is the degree to which people have the ability to find, understand, and use information and services to inform health-related decisions and actions for themselves and others.

Health Literacy in an Emergency

Taking care of our health is part of everyday life, not just when we visit a doctor, emergency department, or hospital.

Health literacy can help you prepare your health for an emergency and stay healthy during an emergency. For example, health literacy can affect your ability to

Many different factors can affect a person’s health literacy. Often people face multiple challenges that can make it difficult or even impossible for them to find, understand, and use information to make decisions. These challenges can include cultural differences, physical or mental disabilities, and unfamiliarity with emergency response terms.(1)

The term “social distancing” is one that confused people, who—up until the COVID-19 pandemic—had little or no experience with disease outbreaks. CDC responded by taking a plain language approach. Instead of asking people to “social distance” themselves from others, CDC said to “stay 6 feet away from others.”

Plain language is not “dumbing down” information or changing the meaning of a message. It’s about creating communication people can understand the first time they read it or hear it.

Bring Down Barriers to Health Literacy

Health literacy is the shared responsibility of the whole community. Businesses, schools, community leaders, government agencies, health insurers, healthcare providers, the media, and many other organizations and individuals all have a part to play in improving health literacy. Some of the ways we can do that include the following:

  • Work with health educators and other preparedness partners to familiarize people with health information and services and build their health literacy skills over time.
  • Consult with trusted messengers, including community, cultural, and faith leaders, to better understand your audience (e.g., cultural and linguistic norms, environment, and history) and to recruit members of your intended audience who can help you develop your messages or test them.
  • Work with trusted messengers to share your messages.
  • Use certified translators and interpreters who can adapt to your intended audience’s language preferences, communication expectations, and health literacy skills.
  • Practice clear communication strategies and techniques (e.g., follow plain language guidelines and define new and unfamiliar terms and acronyms).
  • Translate messages into multiple languages, including American Sign Language. Publish messages in alternate formats like braille, large print, and simplified text.(2, 3)

Improving health literacy requires many sectors and organizations to work together to make health information, resources, and services accessible to everyone.

Be About It

Everyone is responsible for improving health literacy. Here are some ways health, including crisis and emergency risk communicators, can “be about” improving health literacy.

Visit the Non-CDC Training webpage for more training materials on health literacy, plain language, cultural competency, consumer-patient skill building, and shared decision-making.

References

  1. https://medlineplus.gov/healthliteracy.html
  2. https://www.cdc.gov/healthliteracy/shareinteract/TellOthers.html
  3. https://www.cdc.gov/healthliteracy/learn/Understanding.html

Resources

Thanks in advance for your questions and comments on this Public Health Matters post. Please note that CDC does not give personal medical advice. If you are concerned you have a disease or condition, talk to your doctor.

Have a question for CDC? CDC-INFO (http://www.cdc.gov/cdc-info/index.html) offers live agents by phone and email to help you find the latest, reliable, and science-based health information on more than 750 health topics.

Self-Serve Food Pantries Help Feed Local Communities

Five teenagers stand beside a freestanding wooden container filled with food. A label on the box says "TLC little free pantry"
High school students (from left) Eva Gottesfeld, Rebecca Levy, Yair Gritzman, Jonathan Hus, and Noah Rubin stand in front of a “TLC Little Free Pantry” with a quick response (QR) code and instructions posted on the front. (Photo credit: Yair Gritzman)

This student-authored post is published by CPR in partnership with Medill News Service and the Northwestern University Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications. The views and opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the views, policies, or positions of CPR or CDC.

Summer Faerman was on a walk in early 2020 when she saw a small wooden box at the entrance of a neighborhood. She investigated.

The box was a free library, where people could take a book for themselves and leave them for others. The idea inspired Faerman to create something similar—a self-serve food pantry.

Faerman started with one pantry in front of a Salvation Army. It was a strategic choice. The Salvation Army is known in the community as a place to donate goods. It’s also a block away from a local elementary school and a public housing development.callout

Over the past year, one pantry has turned into 52 TLC Little Free Pantries (LFP) located around South Florida. The newest opened last Veteran’s Day in Boca Raton at a mental health center that treats veterans.

LFPs are open 24 hours. There are no questions asked, no judgments passed, and no forms to fill out, explained Faerman.

The pantries are based on the honor system. The words “If you have, give. If you need, take” are posted in multiple languages, including Creole, Portuguese, and Spanish, on the boxes.

People who take from the self-serve food pantries also give, Faerman said. She’s seen people, including members of the local synagogue and passersby, put food in the boxes.

With the pantries being always open, Faerman ran into a problem. When there was just one box, she was able to keep up with demand.

As new pantries opened, it became more difficult for Faerman to keep them stocked. That’s even with the help of volunteers.

In January 2021, Faerman heard from a group of high school students in an engineering club at Donna Klein Jewish Academy with an offer to help. She explained to them her problem of knowing when the pantries were running low. The students suggested creating quick response (QR) codes for the pantries.

QR codes, explains Yair Gritzman, a senior in high school and member of their engineering club, were a simple and inexpensive solution to keeping tabs on the pantries’ inventory.

Gritzman and his schoolmates enlisted the help of their engineering teacher and the Institute for Sensing and Embedded Network Systems Engineering at Florida Atlantic University. Together they launched “Report That Pantry”.

Report That Pantry is a website. QR codes placed on each pantry link to the site, where users of the code can report the level of food inside the pantries to LFP volunteers.

The QR codes, which link to the website, are now being used by self-serve food pantry projects in other states, including Oregon, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Ohio, to restock their pantries faster.

Faerman said the QR codes make it so that “if there’s one [a pantry] that’s bare, it’s not bare for long.”

People appreciate that they can go at any time and take as much food as they need, said Faerman. Children share how excited, not embarrassed, they are to go to the pantry and pick out food. Thank-you notes are left inside the pantries as well.

Faerman hopes to implement more self-serve pantries soon. For now, she’s focused on keeping the ones they have stocked with food with the help of the website.

Faerman hopes people find inspiration in the TLC LFPs—as she did in the free library—and replicate it in their communities. Building a self-serve pantry is easy and opening an account on “Report That Pantry” is free. People are only limited by their willingness to get involved.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reported in September 2021 that of the 13.8 million food-insecure households in the U.S., 36.5% of them reported using a food pantry in 2020. USDA defines households as food insecure if they have “difficulty providing enough food for all members at some time in the past year because there wasn’t enough money for food.”(2)

Food assistance is available for low-income individuals and communities. Call USDA’s National Hunger Hotline for information on meal sites, food banks, and other services near you. The number is 1-866-3-HUNGRY (1-866-348-6479) or 1-877-8-HAMBRE (1-877-842-6273) for Spanish. The hotline is open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. EST.

Resources

References

  1. https://www.feedingamerica.org/hunger-blog/what-difference-between-food-bank-and-food-pantry
  2. https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/food-nutrition-assistance/food-security-in-the-us/key-statistics-graphics.aspx

Thanks in advance for your questions and comments on this Public Health Matters post. Please note that CDC does not give personal medical advice. If you are concerned you have a disease or condition, talk to your doctor.

Have a question for CDC? CDC-INFO (http://www.cdc.gov/cdc-info/index.html) offers live agents by phone and email to help you find the latest, reliable, and science-based health information on more than 750 health topics.

Local CERTs Offer a Way to Get Involved in Your Community

A man in a green vest and hat directs traffic in parking lot.

This student-authored post is published by CPR in partnership with Medill News Service and the Northwestern University Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications. The views and opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the views, policies, or positions of CPR or CDC.

When a 10-year-old girl went missing from her home in the middle of the night on July 23, 2021, her parents called the police.

The next morning, the Canton (Mich.) Police Department mobilized the local Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) to help find the child. She was found safe later that day.

William Hayes, the emergency management coordinator for the Canton Public Safety Department, calls CERT “a force multiplier.” CERT volunteers support Canton police on different nonviolent and noncriminal missions like in 2004 when local cell towers broke down. While repair crews fixed the towers, team members developed a system of communication using handheld radios. They used the radios to stay connected with each other and informed of the crews’ progress.

In the case of the missing girl, the combined force of CERT volunteers and police officers were able to search further, wider, and faster than the police could’ve done alone. Jeff Grand, who works full-time at a local bank and joined CERT three years ago to get involved in his community, estimates he and his partner knocked on hundreds of doors that morning.

The response capabilities of CERTs frees up professional responders to focus their efforts on more complex, essential, and critical tasks.

CERT volunteers complete hours of basic training and education on how to respond to various emergencies. Their training includes learning practical skills, such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation and first aid, team organization, and disaster medical operations.

Volunteers also get hands-on practice putting out a fire, using a jack to lift a car, and searching for missing persons. More than 600,000 people, including the 100 members of the Canton CERT, have completed training since CERT started.

All volunteers receive the same training regardless of their location. This approach makes it easier for CERTs to work together in times of need, such as when tornadoes hit Southeast Michigan in June 2021.

The extreme weather event did little damage in Canton. Neighboring towns like Dearborn, Michigan, faced more challenges. Canton CERT–one of about 20 programs in and around Metro Detroit–turned out to help their neighbors, many of whom struggled with power outages and flooding.

The COVID-19 response has created the need for volunteers to staff local testing and vaccine distribution sites around Wayne County, Michigan. Volunteers who are medically trained help administer vaccines.

Grand has spent the better part of his CERT career registering people at vaccination sites. Thousands of people received vaccines at these sites.

Hayes wants more people to join Canton CERT. He believes the stronger the CERT program in a community, the more resilient the community.

The first CERT was established in Los Angeles, California, in 1985 by the city’s fire department. It became a national program in 1993. Today there are over 2,700 local CERT programs nationwide.

Visit the CERT website to find a team near you and to download basic training materials.

 

Thanks in advance for your questions and comments on this Public Health Matters post. Please note that CDC does not give personal medical advice. If you are concerned you have a disease or condition, talk to your doctor.

Have a question for CDC? CDC-INFO (http://www.cdc.gov/cdc-info/index.html) offers live agents by phone and email to help you find the latest, reliable, and science-based health information on more than 750 health topics.

Summer Camp Inspires, Prepares Students for Medical Careers

This student-authored post is published by CPR in partnership with Medill News Service and the Northwestern University Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications. The views and opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the views, policies, or positions of CPR or CDC.

Students in Dr. Abdullah Hasan Pratt’s emergency preparedness program have seen friends and family die. They’ve been in positions to help others during health emergencies but didn’t know how.

Pratt is an assistant professor of emergency medicine at the University of Chicago. He started the Medical Careers Exposure and Emergency Preparedness program in 2018. His purpose is to address health disparities in some of Chicago’s most underserved communities.

The South Side communities that neighbor the University of Chicago campus rank among the highest in the city for heart disease, strokes, and incidents of gun violence.(1) Pratt said the program teaches teens who live in those areas the practical skills they need to stay calm and respond in a medical emergency.

Inspiring Leaders

“Emergency preparedness skills help empower them to do something, to act, to be a leader when these situations happen,” Pratt said. The seven-week summer program comes at no cost to the students. Each session includes a lecture, followed by a practical component that puts the students’ new skills to the test. Weekly topics vary and include first aid, clinical skills, doctor-patient interaction, and medical career advice.

Samantha Morris is a rising second-year medical student from New Orleans. She said the opportunity to engage with local communities in Chicago was a reason that she got involved with the program.

“I love teaching and enjoy interacting with students,” said Morris, after showing two of the program’s participants how to take a blood pressure reading. She said the practical sessions help students gain confidence in their skills.

The program includes a medical careers exposure component. Pratt said it aims to address the disparities within healthcare professions in the community. “There’s a paucity of young doctors that actually come from the community that they advocate for,” he said.

Pratt explains the driving forces behind the program are the medical school and community volunteers. They come from similar neighborhoods in Chicago and across the U.S.

“How often do you get someone who’s first generation? How often do you get someone who comes from Roseland or Englewood? How often do you get someone who’s lost a brother and four of their closest best friends to gun violence?” he said.

Having volunteers and medical professionals that can relate to the students personally helps the program succeed.

“I think that’s why you don’t see as many of these programs,” Pratt said. “Because it takes an intimate knowledge of the problems almost to the point where you’ve suffered. You’ve been traumatized, you are no different than your patients, no different than these students. I don’t see them as any different than me.”

Building Relationships

The program works to foster long-term relationships and mentorship that encourages participants to give back to the community throughout their careers.

“And that’s what I want for them. I want them to look up one day and say, ‘That’s my big sister, and now they’re a young doctor or nurse practitioner, and they can now collaborate on things,’ but it’s been built for years, that relationship,” Pratt said.

It’s not just the program participants who benefit from the mentorship. The volunteers, all of whom are at different stages of their medical careers, are mentees to the students and each other. Pratt sees the benefits of mentorship first-hand. “We’re continuing to guide them in their careers,” he said. “They’re meeting people who are going to help them become better applicants, better candidates to get into the schools or the professions that they choose.”

Nycholle Warne is a certified nursing assistant who joined the program as a volunteer to give back to the community. She said if a program like this had been available to her in high school, she’d be further along in her career.

“The resources, support, and reaching out to people put you in the right direction,” Warne said. With Pratt’s guidance, she recently started working towards her master’s in nursing.

Pratt’s program prioritizes the students rather than overheads. Free use of university facilities and donated equipment help him keep the focus on preparing teens in disproportionately affected communities. Pratt would like to see the program replicated in cities across the U.S. He hopes that other communities with limited resources can create programs inspired by what they’ve built in Chicago.

“A dream of ours is that any student fresh off the streets can hear about what we do, go to our website, and be linked to the corresponding programs,” Pratt said. “My goal is to connect them with people who they can say ‘I’m her. I want to be him. I’m already him. He walked my shoes. He did it. I can do it.’”

References

  1. https://chicagohealthatlas.org/indicators

 

Thanks in advance for your questions and comments on this Public Health Matters post. Please note that CDC does not give personal medical advice. If you are concerned you have a disease or condition, talk to your doctor.

Have a question for CDC? CDC-INFO (http://www.cdc.gov/cdc-info/index.html) offers live agents by phone and email to help you find the latest, reliable, and science-based health information on more than 750 health topics.

Volunteers Prepare for Another Season of Disaster Response, Relief Work

A woman in a mask shakes the paw of a dog in a cage.
American Red Cross volunteer Gaenor Speed cares for a dog displaced by the Oregon wildfires in September 2020. (Photo: American Red Cross)

This student-authored post is published by CPR in partnership with Medill News Service and the Northwestern University Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications. The views and opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the views, policies, or positions of CPR or CDC.

American Red Cross volunteer Gaenor Speed stood six feet away from a couple who lost everything in the wildfires that burned through the Cascade Mountains in Oregon last September. The first thing she wanted to do was hug them.

“I’m a hugger,” said Speed, 78, a retired nurse. “It’s really hard listening to a sad story from far away with masks on and not being able to just give them a hug.”

The couple told her about their photos — of their wedding, their children, their grandchildren — all destroyed amid the ash and rubble that was their home.

“They asked me, ‘Do you think we’ll find them? Our photos?’” Speed said. “It was so sad. You just want to hold them.”

Speed says the COVID-19 pandemic has made it difficult, if not impossible, for volunteers to comfort survivors in the ways they are used to. CDC recommends people stay at least 6 feet (or about 2 arm lengths) from others to prevent getting sick.

“Everything changed with COVID-19,” she said. “It was like everything went upside down. Those of us who had been on deployments before were used to big shelters with lots of people, where we’d go around, sit on the side of their cots, talk to them and listen to their stories. Now, it’s so hard to be able to empathize. We look like we’re standing off a long way, which we are.”

Speed, who lives in Cape Coral, Fla., is one of the most active volunteers in the Red Cross South Florida Region. She has responded to more than 20 disasters across the country since 2016. She’s helped with emergency shelters, distributed food and supplies, and provided emotional support to victims.

Speed racked up frequent flyer miles in 2020. She deployed to Puerto Rico in response to an earthquake, the Florida Panhandle for a wildfire, and Louisiana after Hurricane Laura. She spent September in Oregon for the wildfires and returned to Florida in November for Tropical Storm Eta.

The pandemic and a record number of natural disasters have tested the resilience of first responders, emergency management officials, relief organizations, and volunteers like Speed.

Things aren’t expected to get easier. Researchers predict an active Atlantic hurricane season in 2021.(1) NOAA will issue its initial outlook for the 2021 season in late May.(2)

Hurricane season starts on May 15 in the North Pacific and June 1 in the Atlantic and the Caribbean. Disaster relief organizations are preparing now.

The Red Cross partners with state and local agencies to put in place emergency plans for shelter, food distribution, and volunteer assistance. Those plans must also integrate mask requirements, facility temperature screenings, physical distancing measures, and cleaning and disinfecting practices.

“As we saw in 2020, disasters did not stop for the pandemic,” said Siara Campbell, regional communications manager for the South Florida Region. “It is imperative to make preparations now, and you need to prepare with the coronavirus situation in mind. You just have to be agile and ready to allocate resources that you may not have expected previously.”

Nicole Coates, director of emergency management and public safety for the Village of Wellington, Fla., agrees. The village is reviewing debris removal contracts, servicing generators, and putting emergency vendors on standby in advance of the hurricane season.

“The better prepared our residents are, the better prepared we are, so we start that public messaging as early as we can before storm season,” Coates said.

Speed knows the importance of preparing her community, as well. She’s helping to recruit volunteers in the hopes of finding others who, too, are willing and ready to deploy.

She believes everyone has something to offer.

“It’s the giving back,” she said. “We need everybody, and I like being in an organization where we’ve got different jobs, but we’re all working for the same goal: to deliver people from these terrible disasters and, as soon as we can, get them back to being able to carry on their lives again.”

Supporting voluntary organizations like the Red Cross is an example of how people can get involved during National Volunteer Month. Other ways you can help improve the preparedness and resilience of your community include participating in response drills and donating blood.

Visit the Prepare Your Health website for information on how to prepare for emergencies.

References

 

Thanks in advance for your questions and comments on this Public Health Matters post. Please note that the CDC does not give personal medical advice. If you are concerned you have a disease or condition, talk to your doctor.

Have a question for CDC? CDC-INFO (http://www.cdc.gov/cdc-info/index.html) offers live agents by phone and email to help you find the latest, reliable, and science-based health information on more than 750 health topics.

Emergency Preparedness Tips for Parents of Children with Special Healthcare Needs

A young girl wearing sunglasses on the beach.

April is National Autism Awareness Month. It is also a time of year when people must prepare for severe weather.

April, May, and June are peak months for tornadoes in many states. And the Atlantic hurricane season officially starts on June 1.

Emergencies come in all sizes and affect people in different ways. All emergencies require some amount of personal health preparedness beforehand to stay safe and healthy during and afterward. At a minimum that means stocking up on emergency supplies, such as food, water, prescriptions, and backup power sources.

For Jennifer Silliman and her family, it means that and more. Her 11-year-old daughter, Allyson, has autism. They live in South Florida, where they’ve experienced over a dozen hurricanes and tropical storms since moving there in 2003.

Preparing for emergencies can be challenging for families caring for a child with autism or other disability. But a little preparation now can make a big difference when an emergency happens.

Planning is paramount

All children have unique needs during an emergency. Preparedness planning for children with special healthcare needs is often more complicated because they may have:

  • A hard time moving from one place to another,
  • Urgent or constant medical needs,
  • Difficulty communicating, and
  • Trouble with transitioning to different situations.

A disaster can present some or all these difficulties at once.

Having a plan for how to stay healthy, informed, connected, and calm is important. If there is a child with special healthcare needs in your family, your emergency action plan should include an emergency care plan.

An emergency care plan is important paperwork that you and your child’s doctor can write together. It’s used to communicate information about your child to caregivers. During an emergency, this could include teachers, grandparents, friends, and neighbors.

“My biggest fear is that Allyson would get separated from me and my husband during an emergency,” says Jennifer. “Allyson is nonverbal, so she cannot tell people where she lives, what her phone number is, or how to contact her parents.”

Because of her communication challenges, Allyson wears a bracelet that has her full name and her parents’ names and contact information. “She wears it all the time. She never takes it off,” says Jennifer.

Nothing worthwhile is easy

When there is a hurricane in the forecast, Jennifer’s family makes sure they have the basics, such as water, batteries, and flashlights. But they must also prepare for Allyson’s personal needs.

Personal needs include the everyday items that she could not do without in an emergency. Allyson’s needs include a weighted blanket and a white noise machine to help her sleep and several favorite foods.

“My daughter has six foods that she eats every day, including honeydew melon and French toast sticks. Almost every food she eats must be refrigerated or cooked in a microwave and this can present challenges if the power goes out during a hurricane,” says Jennifer.

Some of Allyson’s other must-haves are noise-canceling headphones and a tablet preloaded with her favorite television shows and music. Then there’s the backup battery power that’s needed to run these things. All would be invaluable if her family ever had to evacuate to a shelter.

Strive for peace of mind

Preparing for an emergency can be stressful for all families, especially those with children with special healthcare needs. Having—and practicing—an emergency action plan can help families respond with confidence to the real thing.

Communication is key. It’s important for all families to talk to their children about what is happening in a way that they can understand. Keep it simple and consider the child’s age and type of disability.

Even though Jennifer’s daughter, Allyson, does not have a lot of expressive language, she does understand when others talk to her. “We want to be respectful of Allyson, so we tell her ‘Hey, we might need to pack up and go,’ or ‘It might get really loud tonight, and the house might get dark.’ I think telling children what’s going on puts them at ease.”

After a disaster, parents, caregivers, and healthcare providers must know how to help children cope with their different and strong emotions. Some children react right away; others may show signs of difficulty much later. Coping with a disaster can be particularly difficult for children with disabilities.

Visit the Prepare Your Health website for more information on how to prepare for emergencies.

Resources

Thanks in advance for your questions and comments on this Public Health Matters post. Please note that the CDC does not give personal medical advice. If you are concerned you have a disease or condition, talk to your doctor.

Have a question for CDC? CDC-INFO (http://www.cdc.gov/cdc-info/index.html) offers live agents by phone and email to help you find the latest, reliable, and science-based health information on more than 750 health topics.

#BeCyberSmart: 5 Ways to Protect Your Health Tech

A stethoscope on top of a laptop keyboard.

October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month.

Technological advances have made the field of home-use medical devices one of the most exciting in medicine. New technologies are being applied to all different types of devices, including those that are implanted, worn, and used at home or in health care settings. The result is safer, timelier, and more convenient patient care. But progress in the field has created new cybersecurity concerns.

Cybersecurity Incidents: A Public Health Issue?

Cybersecurity incidents are not as obvious a public health hazard as natural disasters. We’ve had less practice with cybersecurity incidents than, for example, a hurricane and its effects on personal and public health and safety. But just like a more traditional response to a disaster, we must prepare for all types of cybersecurity incidents and their consequences.

Cybersecurity incidents can happen by accident and impact a full range of systems, devices, and infrastructure that may have nothing to do with computers. Cyberattacks are incidents perpetrated by unauthorized actors who have malicious intent. Cybersecurity incidents can have negative effects that go beyond stolen information and threaten people’s health and safety.

Cybersecurity & Medical Devices

In the effort to make medical devices that can make managing a chronic health condition easier, manufacturers are designing devices that connect to the Internet, hospital networks, and even other medical devices. For example, a patient with an implanted heart device can now be monitored remotely and without visiting a doctor’s office.(1)

However, the same thing that makes these devices “smart” is also what makes them vulnerable to incidents that could impact the safety and effectiveness of a device and the health and wellbeing of people who rely on them.

#BeCyberSmart

Cybersecurity does not fall squarely on the shoulders of the government. It is a team sport. Every American has a role to play. Here are five simple ways you can #BeCyberSmart with personal health technology:

  1. Stay informed. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates all medical devices. If a medical device’s software has a weakness that might make it vulnerable to a cyberattack, the FDA may issue a cybersecurity safety communication that includes information about vulnerabilities and recommended actions for patients, providers, and manufacturers.
  2. Register your device. Even though it’s an extra step, registering a medical device with the manufacturer may help them reach you more quickly when there’s an urgent need to send out important information about the device, including software updates and safety communications.
  3. Update your software. Technology evolves over time, so software for your medical device will need to be updated. Medical device manufacturers can update a medical device for cybersecurity when needed and often do so by providing software updates.
  4. Look for glitches and report issues. A device that is not working as expected could be a sign that something isn’t right. Don’t ignore it. If you suspect that there is an issue with your device, notify your health care provider, the device manufacturer, and report the issue to FDA’s MedWatch.
  5. Share information. Educate your family or caregivers about your medical device. If a device isn’t working properly for any reason, someone who is already familiar with it may be able to help you recognize and report an issue. This is especially important if you aren’t very tech-savvy. Also, make sure your family knows how to reach the health care provider who prescribed the device in case you cannot.(3)

Medical devices are intended to improve health and help people live longer, healthier lives. But any medical device that runs on software and relies on a wireless or wired Internet connection is at risk, especially if the device is older and wasn’t made with cybersecurity in mind. Device makers, hospitals, facilities, and individuals, including patients and caregivers, must work together to manage cybersecurity risks.

References

Resources

Thanks in advance for your questions and comments on this Public Health Matters post. Please note that the CDC does not give personal medical advice. If you are concerned you have a disease or condition, talk to your doctor.

Have a question for CDC? CDC-INFO (http://www.cdc.gov/cdc-info/index.html) offers live agents by phone and email to help you find the latest, reliable, and science-based health information on more than 750 health topics.

Photographers Capture the Great Outdoors in Miniature Masterpieces

A collage of staged photos created by several Instagram users. The photos use toys and food to recreate scenes in nature.
Following stay-at-home orders, professional and amateur photographers, including (from left) @stevint, @Erinoutdoors (top), @mikerigney (bottom), @Erinoutdoors, @albakerphoto (top), and @Erinoutdoors (bottom), used food, minifigures, and other household items to recreate scenes from nature that they then shared on Instagram with the hashtag #OurGreatIndoors.

In observance of National Preparedness Month, the Center for Preparedness and Response (CPR) will publish posts in September that highlight ways people and organizations are helping to “create community” where they live.

This student-authored post is published by CPR in partnership with Medill News Service and the Northwestern University Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications. The views and opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the views, policies, or positions of CPR or CDC.

When outdoor photographers stay indoors, anything can happen. A climb across pancake mountaintops drenched in maple syrup. A trek through baking soda snow in rosemary winter wonderlands. A paddle down huckleberry rivers in ice cream sundae canyons.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, photographers are having to find new outlets for their creativity. Some have turned to crafting miniature landscapes modeled after the great outdoors.

These mini masterpieces are catching the attention of thousands on social media and inspiring both professional and amateur photographers to try creating tiny worlds of their own. The trend first started with one photographer’s curiosity and creativity.

As a full-time travel photographer, Erin Sullivan (@Erinoutdoors on Instagram) spent about a third of her time on the road. When travel shut down in February, Sullivan found a new way to bring the great outdoors into her Los Angeles apartment.

“When I was little and couldn’t fall asleep at night, I used to imagine little adventures under my sheets,” Sullivan said. “I would look at the scale of things and imagine, ‘what if I could shrink myself and go on an adventure here.’”

Following stay-at-home orders, Sullivan thought about how to push herself creatively and stay connected to travel without leaving her apartment. She challenged herself to create believable outdoor scenes using household items and model train figurines.

Sullivan’s creative process began with a rough sketch of the landscape. Next, she headed to the pantry to find foods or recognizable objects, and finally put it all together into one flavorful photo.

“The landscapes do not necessarily replicate the exact place, but the feeling or emotions I had when I was there,” Sullivan said.

Following her first miniature photograph in March, Sullivan challenged viewers to create their own indoor adventure with the hashtag #OurGreatIndoors. Since then, her Instagram following has nearly tripled.

With attention from across the globe, little did she know these miniature figure photographs would change her world in a big way.

Inspired by Sullivan, Stevin Tuchiwsky (@stevint) staged miniature outdoor landscapes from his home in Calgary, Alberta. The #OurGreatIndoors post challenged him to replicate some of his past outdoor photographs of Banff National Park, Cape Breton Island, and the Silfra dive site.

Tuchiwsky’s favorite miniature figure photographs captured a deep-sea dive from his bathtub. With his camera protected in a fish tank, he built the scene with rocks from a nearby river and toweling from his linen cabinet.

“One of the best parts of photographing the miniature figurines was getting creative and improvising with what I had around the house,” said Tuchiwsky, a civil-engineer technologist and outdoor lifestyle photography hobbyist.

The miniature photograph recreated a visit to Iceland and brought back a lot of memories for him. “Especially during the pandemic, people can use creativity and the outdoors as an outlet to alleviate stress and showcase their inner selves through art,” Tuchiwsky said.

Miniature figure photography also brought back memories for Al Baker (@albakerphoto), a freelance landscape photographer in Las Vegas. Sullivan’s photographs resurfaced childhood memories of building model baseball stadiums, and he decided to give the #OurGreatIndoors challenge a try.

For Baker’s favorite photograph, the creative process began with gathering and crafting each element in the mini-scape. He tried to get as detailed as possible, even searching for a toy whale that was to scale with the miniature diver.

When it was time to shoot, Baker set up the tripod and camera and used a telephoto lens to adjust the depth of field and compress the background. With the frame positioned, Baker goes back and forth between the camera and the scene to place figurines.

“My favorite part is making the scenes as realistic as possible and when I finish the photo, my imagination just comes to life,” Baker said.

For Mike Rigney (@mikerigney) a marine engineer and outdoor photography hobbyist, the creative process involved less planning and more experimenting.

Living on a boat in San Diego didn’t offer much space for his miniature landscape photography with all the props and tiny figures. But after messing around with bubble wrap packaging remnants, Rigney found inspiration to create one of his favorite miniature photographs of a Mendenhall ice cave.

However, in some cases, the places exist only in his imagination. “As a photographer, these miniatures are an opportunity to take photos exactly how I want to and ‘travel’ to places I’ve never been before,” Rigney said.

For many photographers, miniature landscape photography is a great way to practice mindfulness.

Dr. Don (DJ) Stanley (@djstanleyphoto), a chiropractor in Moorpark, Calif., said both hobbies and the outdoors are very supportive of emotional and mental health, which is especially important during the pandemic. Outdoor experiences have health benefits such as lowering anxiety, lowering blood pressure, and improving overall wellness, Stanley said.

“The healing aspect of the outdoors is very prevalent and meaningful in my life,” Dr. Stanley said. “Even though I am not accessing the outdoors as much as I did before the pandemic, I am still able to connect with both nature and creativity through my photography.”

This trend is even starting to positively impact businesses that sell model figurines. In the model railroad industry, sales typically slow down over the summer and peak during the holiday season. But over the past few months, both experienced modelers and newcomers to the hobby have had more time to channel their creativity while in quarantine.

Paul Christel, co-owner of a model railroading business, said online sales tripled in March and April this year. Another online model train retailer store estimated quadruple sales compared to all summer seasons prior and sold more in April than any other Christmas season.

The model figurine business will likely continue to grow since many photographers said they plan to work on their miniature masterpieces, even after they return to traveling.

Sullivan said she hopes the miniature figurines can tag along on her adventures and add to her travel photography. But right now, she has some ideas that she’ll revisit when she’s ready … or hungry for more.

Home Health Program Seeks to Improve Access to Support Services, Information

A male paramedic performs a health check outside on a man sitting in a chair.
Paramedics bring visual and educational materials and equipment to check patients’ vitals, conduct blood tests, and administer EKGs during Mobile Integrated Healthcare Program home visits. This photo was taken in 2016 before the COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo credit: JOHN STARKS/DAILY HERALD, 2016)

In observance of National Preparedness Month, the Center for Preparedness and Response (CPR) will publish posts in September that highlight ways people and organizations are helping to “create community” where they live.

This student-authored post is published by CPR in partnership with Medill News Service and the Northwestern University Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications. The views and opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the views, policies, or positions of CPR or CDC.

Paramedics in Elgin, Ill., stop at the home of an elderly man who was recently discharged from the hospital for uncontrolled diabetes. They first check the man’s vitals, including blood pressure and blood sugar levels, and then review information about his condition and treatment plan with him.

As part of the Mobile Integrated Healthcare (MIH) Program at Advocate Sherman Hospital, a free support program offered primarily to elderly patients with chronic diseases who need additional home health support, these paramedics are helping to narrow the health literacy gap.

Paramedics use weekly one-on-one home visits to help optimize health outcomes among community residents whose low levels of health literacy could put them at increased risk of getting COVID-19. CDC defines health literacy as an individual’s ability to understand basic health information and services to make informed health decisions.

Beyond providing sources of information, MIH paramedics bring a personal touch, serving as an additional support system for patients. This is part of the reason why Sara Larson, a nurse at Elgin Family Physicians, refers patients to the program.

“This program makes patients feel like someone cares about them,” said Larson. “It makes a big difference to see patients’ realities in their homes and adapt their care accordingly.”

Home visits are also opportunities for patients to review their health information and ask questions outside of the hospital, she added.

MIH works with patients who have been hospitalized at least once for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes, asthma, pneumonia, or heart failure. It is the only hospital-based paramedicine program in the state.

Tina Link, manager of community outreach at Advocate Sherman and MIH program director, said the program was started to reduce the number of visits to emergency departments for issues that could be managed at home. Issues such as getting prescription refills and not knowing what medication to take.

“There’s a knowledge deficit,” she said. “Some patients don’t know where to go or who to ask. But they know the hospital is open and someone will take care of them.”

Paramedics teach patients how to navigate the health care system so they can understand their conditions and make informed decisions about their care. The goal of the program is to reduce unnecessary hospital admissions and decrease costs.

Last year, MIH successfully lowered hospital readmission rates for their program participants by 58%, according to data provided by Advocate Sherman.

The COVID-19 pandemic has amplified the importance of this program. Both the elderly and patients with certain underlying medical conditions are at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19, according to CDC.

“Especially with COVID-19, we don’t want people in the hospital who don’t need to be here,” said Jill League, community wellness coordinator at Advocate Sherman, who actively oversees the MIH program. “We want our patients to know how to control their condition so that they can stay home, stay healthy, and have a better quality of life.”

In the five years since the program’s establishment, Link and League agree this year is one of the most impactful. After the onset of the pandemic in March, they said they immediately integrated COVID-19 information into MIH’s curriculum. Paramedics cover COVID-19 signs and symptoms, safety guidelines, and how to self-quarantine.

Program participants have been responsive to this mission. Link said she has noticed patients becoming more conscious of their health and behaviors. They acknowledge that their medical history may put them at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19 and are eager to work with the paramedics to better understand their health.

“COVID-19 does not just target a certain population,” said Link. “It’s new for everyone and we’re all at risk, so we’re all in this together.” The universality of the pandemic encouraged patients not only to keep themselves healthy but also to protect their neighbors.

MIH has navigated the barriers of limited mobility and uncertainty this summer to offer patients safe, personalized health care in their own homes. Paramedics wear appropriate personal protective equipment and follow proper hygiene protocols between home visits, as recommended by the CDC.

Advocate Sherman’s intervention has not only successfully improved health literacy in Elgin but also has bridged together providers and patients to shape a resilient, well-informed community during these unprecedented times.