Why it matters
Understand
the numbers.
Every figure above has a reason behind it. This is what each one protects against.
Most households have a medical need
The CDC estimates about three in four U.S. adults live with at least one chronic condition, and more than half with two or more. Over 65, it is more than nine in ten.
Cold chain is a power problem
Unopened insulin must stay refrigerated at 36 to 46°F. Once a grid fails, a medical refrigerator on a battery-protected circuit is what keeps it usable.
Some care runs on electricity
Oxygen concentrators run around the clock, CPAP machines every night and nebulizers on demand. We design their circuits first, so they are the last loads to go dark.
Supply is built over time
Most prescriptions are dispensed 30 or 90 days at a time. A six-month reserve is built across several refills, arranged with the prescriber and the insurer, and rotated so nothing expires.
Children and pregnancy change the math
Calorie needs climb through the teen years, and pregnancy adds about 340 to 450 calories a day in the second and third trimesters. Infants need their own plan.
Know what potassium iodide does
It protects the thyroid from radioactive iodine and nothing else. Doses differ by age. It is taken only when public health officials direct it, and more is not better.
Method
How we
calculate.
Planning figures, not guarantees. Final systems are engineered for the site, the climate and the household.
Calories use federal estimates for moderately active people by age and sex (for example women 31 to 50 about 2,000 a day, men 31 to 50 about 2,500), reduced 10 percent for sedentary and raised 15 percent for very active people. Pregnancy adds 340 calories in the second trimester and 450 in the third (CDC); nursing adds about 400.
Dry staples assume about 1,600 calories per pound across grain, legumes and oil. Infants are planned separately.
Medical power uses planning figures to size circuits: about 8.4 kWh a day for a home oxygen concentrator running continuously, about 0.5 kWh a night for CPAP, and about 1.2 kWh a day for a small medical refrigerator. The device label governs the final design.
Refills to build ahead assumes 90-day dispensing: a 180-day reserve needs one extra fill in hand. Utah lets pharmacists provide an emergency supply of most non-controlled medicines when a prescriber cannot be reached, but that is a bridge, not a plan.
Potassium iodide doses come from the FDA: 130 mg for adults and pregnant or nursing women, 65 mg for children 3 to 18 (130 mg for teens over 150 lb), 32 mg for ages 1 month to 3 years, 16 mg for newborns.
This planner does not give medical advice. Every prescription quantity, storage method and dose is set with your physician.
- CDC: About chronic diseases
- FDA: Insulin storage in an emergency
- FDA: Frequently asked questions on potassium iodide
- CDC: Weight gain and calories during pregnancy
- American Lung Association: Preparing for a power outage
- Utah Admin. Code R156-17b-612 (pharmacist emergency refills)
- American Red Cross: Anatomy of a first aid kit
Questions
Common
questions.
How do I get a six-month supply of a prescription?
Talk to your prescriber and your insurer. Many plans dispense 90 days at a time, often by mail. A reserve is usually built over several refills and then rotated, using the oldest supply first so nothing expires.
How long does insulin last without refrigeration?
According to the FDA, most insulin vials and cartridges can be kept unrefrigerated between 59 and 86°F for up to 28 days, opened or unopened. Unopened insulin kept refrigerated lasts until its expiration date. Check the label for each product.
Should we store potassium iodide?
It can be part of a radiological plan. It protects only the thyroid from radioactive iodine, should be taken only when public health officials direct it, and doses vary by age. Ask your physician, especially for anyone with thyroid disease or iodine sensitivity.
What if someone in the family needs dialysis or oxygen?
Those households need a dedicated plan with their physician, and the estate needs power and water systems designed around the equipment. That is part of our design work.
Private Consultation
Bring us
your numbers.
Send your results with a consultation request and we will walk through them with you, privately and without obligation.
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