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The Home Oxygen Therapy booklet is a resource for SA Health patients who have been assessed by a respiratory or sleep specialist.
If you or someone you care for relies on power - for critical care medical equipment in the home or critical pharmacy-dispensed medication - developing an emergency management plan for lengthy, planned and unplanned power outages with your GP, pharmacy, carers, and family is essential.
To develop an effective plan to protect your health in the event of a planned or unplanned power outage:
Contact your power retailer and ensure that they are aware you are a power dependent critical care consumer. Your power retailer will also forward your contact details to SA Power Networks.
Sign up for outage alerts. Whilst registering won’t guarantee continuous electricity supply, SA Power Networks will keep you informed of planned outages so you can manage your care during a power outage.
Contact the distributor or provider of your life saving devices and oxygen cylinders about how to access back-up batteries to run your medical devices during prolonged power outages. Some retailers will also deliver oxygen cylinders to you in the event of a prolonged power outage.
Contact your Local Health Network or Health Service Respiratory Clinic to arrange access to back-up oxygen cylinders, if required.
If needed, arrange access to critical medications from a pharmacy with your GP, by contacting your:
Contact your doctor for advice if you live in a country location and your local pharmacy is not open or visit your local hospital pharmacy.
Identify and nominate your key carers, family members or agencies who will support you during a power outage:
If you or someone in your household relies on critical medical equipment that requires a continuous supply of electricity, you may be eligible to sign up as a life support customer. By registering for this service, you will receive notifications from SA Power Networks for upcoming maintenance and unplanned outages.
This service ensures that you receive timely information to manage any potential disruptions to your power supply. Additionally, as a registered life support customer, you contribute to SA Power Networks' efforts in prioritising assistance during emergency situations.
To sign up for free SMS updates or to learn more about the registration process, please visit the SA Power Networks Life Support Customers page.
If you are unable to use your medical devices at home and do not have a plan in place, seek alternative accommodation until their power returns.
If your phone network is down, in a medical emergency go to your closest Emergency Department. Hospitals will always be open.
If anyone is unable to use their medical devices at home, such as respirators, they should present to their nearest Emergency Department.