The Rhode Island Department of Health wants people who have special health care needs (or who have children with special health care needs) to register with the Special Needs Emergency Registry before Hurricane Sandy hits. This allows responders to plan for caring for those who have special needs in an emergency situation.
If you, or your loved ones, live in Rhode Island, this information could be extremely helpful. The Rhode Island Department of Health wants people who have special healthcare needs (or who have children with special needs) to enroll in the Rhode Island Special Needs Emergency Registry before Hurricane Sandy hits.
You can find complete information about how to enroll here. Enrolling does not necessarily guarantee that you will receive assistance. However, it gives you a much better chance of getting it. Local and state emergency officials use the information to help plan for, respond to, and care for people in Rhode Island who have disabilities, chronic conditions, and other health care needs.
A person of any age can enroll if that person is in Rhode Island and has a chronic condition, disability, special health care need, or who may require additional assistance during an emergency such as a hurricane. If you are on home oxygen, a respirator, a ventilator, or dialysis, you should enroll. If you use a pacemaker or are insulin dependent, you should enroll.
People who use a wheelchair, walker, cane, or have mobility issues should also sign up with the Rhode Island Special Needs Emergency Registry. Others who should enroll include people who are visually impaired or blind, people who are hard of hearing or deaf, people with developmental or mental health disabilities, and people who use assistive animals or a prosthesis.
The Rhode Island Department of Health suggests that you should consider having extra eyeglasses, hearing aids, hearing aid batteries, wheelchair batteries, and oxygen in your home, just in case. It is also a good idea to collect a list of all of your prescriptions, and include the dosage and treatment. Make a list of all of your allergies.
It is a good idea to have access to a copy of your health insurance cards, and the contact information for your doctors, pharmacist, and medical supply providers. Those who use assistive animals should have extra food and water for the animal, a collar with an ID tag, proof of rabies vaccination, and other emergency pet supplies.
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