In any medical emergency, call 911 immediately.
For non-emergency dialysis questions and urgent supply or equipment issues, contact Cooper's care team using the number provided at enrollment. Vantive (PD supply partner) 24/7 support: 1-800-227-2572. NKF Cares helpline: 855-653-2273.
Before
Emergencies Happen
Prepare Ahead of Time
The most important emergency preparation happens long before a storm, outage, or evacuation order. Patients who fare best in emergencies are those who made a plan in advance — while they had time and power and phone service.
1
Save your Cooper care team's number in your phone right now
Energy and stamina often improve significantly in the weeks and months after starting dialysis. If possible, give yourself a transition period before returning to full work demands. Most patients find a rhythm — it just takes a little time.
2
Know your CAPD backup — PD patients
If you use an APD cycler, you must know how to perform manual CAPD exchanges. This requires no power and no machine. Your Cooper nurse trains you on this during your initial training — if you're not confident, ask for a refresher now, not during a storm.
3
Register with your local utility companies
Many electric and water utilities maintain priority restoration lists for customers who depend on power or water for medical equipment. FPL's Medical Certification Program is one example. Contact your local providers to ask about registration — it can mean faster restoration after an outage.
4
Register with your local emergency management office
Florida county emergency management offices maintain registries of residents with special medical needs. Registration can help ensure you are prioritized during evacuations and receive targeted outreach during emergencies. Contact your county's emergency management office to register.
5
Keep at least 2 weeks of supplies on hand
Cooper recommends maintaining a minimum 2-week supply of dialysis consumables at all times — not just what you need for the current delivery cycle. Talk to your Cooper care coordinator if your current supply levels are lower than that.
6
Identify an emergency contact and share your plan
Designate a trusted person — a family member, friend, or neighbor — who knows your dialysis schedule, where your supplies are stored, and how to reach Cooper. Give them a written copy of your emergency plan.
7
Know your evacuation routes
Plan at least two evacuation routes from your home. Know which routes are most likely to flood or become blocked. If you are on HHD and would need to transport equipment, plan accordingly — know where you would go and how you would get there with your machine and supplies.
Being Ready
to Leave
Your Dialysis Go-Bag
If you need to evacuate quickly, you should have a bag pre-packed and ready — not something you assemble in 20 minutes while a hurricane is approaching. Use a rolling suitcase or a sturdy bag with wheels that you can grab and move fast.
Medical & Treatment Documents to Pack
Dialysis Prescription
A copy of your current treatment orders.
Medication List
All current medications with doses.
Recent Lab Results
Most recent bloodwork.
Emergency Contact Numbers
Including: Cooper, Vantive, your nephrologist, NKF Cares
Advance Directive
If you have one, keep a copy here.
Dialysis Supplies (Minimum 5–7 days)
Dialysis solution bags (PD) or dialysate supplies (HHD)
Transfer sets, tubing, and connection supplies
Exit site care supplies — dressings, tape, antiseptic
Masks and gloves for aseptic technique
Manual CAPD supplies if you are an APD patient
General Emergency Kit Additions
All Medications
7-day supply minimum, in original labeled containers.
Blood pressure cuff and scale for daily monitoring
Portable phone charger (keep it charged at all times)
Bottled water (at least a 3-day supply per person)
Kidney-friendly non-perishable food for the emergency diet
Cash
ATMs may be offline after a major emergency.
Check and rotate your go-bag every 6 months.
Dialysis supplies have expiration dates. Check your go-bag at least twice a year — when clocks change is an easy reminder — and replace any items that are expired or running low.
What to Do for Specific Emergency Situations
Different emergencies require different responses. Here is specific guidance for the scenarios most likely to affect home dialysis patients.
If You Miss a Treatment Due to an Emergency
If an emergency prevents you from receiving dialysis, your diet becomes critically important. Without treatment, potassium, phosphorus, sodium, and fluid build up in your body. Adjusting what you eat right away helps slow that buildup and reduces the risk of serious complications until treatment can resume.
Start restricting your diet as soon as you know treatment may be disrupted.
Do not wait until you have already missed a session. If a hurricane is approaching or power is out, begin dietary restrictions immediately. Ask your Cooper dietitian for a personalized written emergency plan to keep with your go-bag — before you need it.
Key principles when dialysis is delayed or missed:
Severely Limit Potassium
Avoid fruits, most vegetables, nuts, dairy, and potatoes. Elevated potassium is the most immediately dangerous complication of missed dialysis and can affect heart rhythm.
Strictly Limit Fluids
Restrict all liquid intake to the minimum possible. Fluid overload can become life-threatening quickly when dialysis is interrupted. This means water, juice, soup, and anything that becomes liquid at room temperature.
Limit Phosphorus and Sodium
Avoid processed foods, canned goods with added sodium, dairy products, and dark colas. Stick to simple, low-potassium foods such as white bread, plain crackers, and unsalted canned proteins.
Resume Normal Treatment as Soon as Possible
Dietary restriction is a short-term bridge — not a substitute for dialysis. Contact your care team and nephrologist immediately when treatment is interrupted so they can help you resume as quickly as possible.
Your Cooper dietitian can prepare a written emergency food plan tailored to your prescription and dietary needs — ask for one at your next visit, and keep a printed copy with your emergency supplies.
