Winter weather can be unpredictable and cause power outages, heavy precipitation and poor driving conditions. This can interfere with dialysis patients' treatment schedules. Here are sometips on how dialysis patients can prepare for bad weather:

• Talk to your doctor, dialysis care team and family about your disaster plan - what you should do and where you should go if a disaster strikes.
• Keep track of your local forecasts.
• Keep your emergency phone numbers handy.
• Keep proper emergency supplies on hand such as a first-aid kit, flashlight (with extra batteries), blankets, battery-powered radio, cell phone, non-electric can opener and any needed medications.
• If you are an in-center dialysis patient, arrange for back-up transportation to the clinic with a friend, neighbor or family member.
• If you are a home dialysis patient and you lose power, follow the directions given to you by the home training staff for continuing dialysis in an emergency.
• If you are diabetic, ask your doctor how to adjust your insulin dosage during winter storm emergencies.

It is important to be prepared for an emergency situation. AAKP encourages all patients to be the leader in their health care and make a disaster plan with the help of your physician.

This article originally appeared in the February 2009 issue of Renal Flash.