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Summary
This episode is an audio version of our blog, “When the Power Goes Out: Disaster Planning for Clients With Electricity-Dependent Equipment.” Sue Doyle, PhD, OTR/L walks through how power outages turn from inconvenience to crisis for clients who rely on powered medical equipment, so you can systematically build outage planning into your OT assessments and protect function, safety, and life.
This episode is an audio version of our blog, “When the Power Goes Out: Disaster Planning for Clients With Electricity-Dependent Equipment.” Sue Doyle, PhD, OTR/L walks through how power outages turn from inconvenience to crisis for clients who rely on powered medical equipment, so you can systematically build outage planning into your OT assessments and protect function, safety, and life.
In this episode, we cover:
- Why clients who depend on powered equipment (ventilators, oxygen concentrators, power wheelchairs, lifts, hospital beds, smart home systems) are among the most vulnerable in disasters, and why standard emergency checklists are not enough.
- Five practical OT actions you can start using immediately: creating a detailed equipment inventory, connecting clients to utility life-support registries, developing written power-failure protocols, ensuring and practicing manual mobility options, and rehearsing evacuation or backup routines before a crisis.
- How to think through the “cascade effect” of outages—elevators, doors, smart home controls, medication dispensers, and communication devices failing in sequence—and how OTs can respond both at the individual home level and by advocating for system-wide preparedness in agencies, shelters, and discharge planning.
Read the full blog and see visuals:
- Read the article: https://thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.blog/2026/05/29/when-the-power-goes-out-ots-critical-role-in-emergency-planning-for-clients-with-medical-equipment/
- View any photos, diagrams, or checklists mentioned in this episode on the blog.
Related trainings and courses:
- Certified Home Accessibility Therapist (CHAT): https://www.thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.com/CHAT
- Disaster Preparedness, Response, and Recovery: A role for OT https://www.thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.com/Disastercourse
- All Courses: https://www.thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.com/courses
Stay connected:
- Website: https://www.thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.com/
- Blog: https://thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.blog/
- Join the newsletter: https://www.thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.com/Newsletter
- Join our Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/homeaccessibilitysafety
- Follow on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/susan-doyle-38bba3178
Creators and Guests
What is The Home Accessibility Therapist Podcast?
The Home Accessibility Therapist Podcast delivers tips, training, and interviews for therapists who are changing lives at home. Each episode turns real-world home modification challenges—like falls, hoarding, and disaster preparedness—into clear, practical strategies you can use on your next visit. You’ll hear Therapist Thursday interviews, research-based blog-to-audio episodes, and “Office Hours” Q&A focused on evaluations, documentation, and funding. The podcast’s goal is to build your confidence and skills as a home accessibility therapist so your recommendations are safer, more effective, and more likely to be implemented.