WASHINGTON, Sept. 2, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — From the
Carolinas to New England, many providers of durable medical
equipment and services spent the past week preparing their
customers for and responding to the havoc created by Hurricane
Irene. Of particular concern to homecare providers are power
outages, which can be deadly for people who require a ventilator for
breathing or a concentrator to generate oxygen to treat COPD and
other lung diseases or chronic heart failure.
Millions of Americans nationwide need types of home
medical equipment that require electricity, such as oxygen
concentrators, ventilators, and nebulizers. During a power outage
or evacuation, having an adequate back-up supply of oxygen or
battery power is essential to the health of the device users, many
of whom are Medicare beneficiaries.
“Providers of durable medical equipment are among the first of
the first responders in natural disasters, power outages, and other
emergencies that hit the frailest among us the hardest,” said Tyler
J. Wilson, president of the American Association for
Homecare, that national association that represents providers
of home medical equipment and services. “Ensuring safety and
independence for people who require medical equipment and services
at home prevents hospitalizations and ER trips, which also helps to
control healthcare costs.”
Several snapshots of activity during the past week follow:
Homecare Concepts in Farmingdale, New York has been
delivering oxygen to patients who have lost power. The company
itself lost power and employees have been coordinating care and
service via cell phone to the more than
100 oxygen patients without
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