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Caring for the Chronically Ill Family Member in a Disaster, by Rebecca H.
Caring for a chronically ill family member takes an emotional and physical toll on the caregiver. Compound this in a time of disaster, civil unrest, social and economic collapse and you might feel there is no chance for survival. I cannot say that. There might be insurmountable odds against a seriously ill family member living in harsh conditions for very long, but it is my goal as a caregiver to ensure I have the tools and knowledge to keep that family member as comfortable; physically, emotionally and spiritually as I can.
As the wife of a recent kidney transplant recipient, I am familiar with all aspects of his care, before transplant while he was on dialysis and now, with a severe regimen of anti- rejection drugs. I have researched and found very little information on varied “prepping” sites as to what to do for those family members that may require medical devices that require electricity, medications that prolong life, such as anti-rejection, anti- viral, chemo, asthma to name a few. These medications are usually very expensive, and generics are few. No doctor will allow you to stockpile these. I have tried. You may only be able to obtain a 3 month supply at best. So you might have a generator to run the dialysis machine, but when the supply chain that brings the boxes of dialysis fluid breaks down, you won’t be able to make it in your kitchen. What do you do when the medications run out, or the nebulizer canisters stop coming in the mail?
How do you prepare yourself and your loved one for the inevitable outcome? Depending on the condition your loved one suffers from, I surmise most people will try to stretch out certain medications in a disaster scenario, such as blood pressure meds, if the ill family member is not exerting themselves. My plan for my husband is to keep him comfortable and hydrated, occupied with low impact activities to keep his blood pressure down when we run out of his meds. There is not much I can do for his anti-rejection drugs other than halve the dose so they last longer. The key is to keep normalcy and good attitude combined with communication. Speaking with your ill loved one and making the care plan together. They might not want to alter the medication schedule, and may just want to abandon it all together. They might not want to be a burden, or might want to face the inevitable head on. They might want to survive at all cost. It is crucial to your survival that you face all outcomes and discuss these with your loved one in detail. Having a Medical Power of Attorney, with a Healthcare Directive in place makes sure that your decisions, directives, and care plan will be followed if the loved one is cared for outside the home in this type of scenario.
It is beyond the scope of many people’s thoughts of having to watch a family member deteriorate in the absence of medical care or medications.
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