Bushfire, flood and storm preparations should include medications, medical information and mental health support, local health organisation says.
Hawkesbury residents are being urged to prepare for the coming high-risk season by thinking not only about their homes and evacuation routes, but also about how they would manage their health if a disaster disrupted everyday services.
Wentworth Healthcare, which provides the Nepean Blue Mountains Primary Health Network, says bushfires, floods, storms and extreme heat can interrupt power, communications, transport and access to medical care sometimes with little warning.
Its chief executive, Lizz Reay, said people should consider what they would need if they could not reach their usual healthcare providers for several days. That is particularly important for residents managing chronic conditions or disability, people with limited mobility, and those caring for others.
Practical steps include checking prescription supplies with a GP or pharmacist, keeping an up-to-date list of medications and healthcare contacts, and making sure important health information can be accessed if residents have to leave home. People who rely on powered medical equipment should discuss what they would do during an outage with their healthcare team.
Mental health belongs in that preparation too. Disasters can bring anxiety, grief and renewed distress, particularly for people who have lived through previous fires or floods. Residents who are struggling can speak to their GP about support and ask whether a GP mental health treatment plan is appropriate. For eligible patients, a plan and referral can provide Medicare rebates for sessions with an eligible mental health professional. There may still be an out-of-pocket cost.
A health plan does not have to be complicated. The important question is whether everyone in a household knows what care, medication and support they would need if normal routines suddenly became impossible.
Residents can read Wentworth Healthcare’s preparedness advice and Healthdirect’s explanation of GP mental health treatment plans.
