Adjusting your cognition, and support day-to-day life and health

Nutrition and water

Meals will consist mostly of meal boxes and instant foods, and it has been reported that salt intake will increase and the diet becomes unbalanced. Instruct patients to not eat all of the salty dishes in the distributed meals, and to try to maintain balance by taking dietary supplements.

There are various ways to secure drinking water at a hospital: you could get by melting ice, using the reserved water in PET bottles and the distilled water for injections. Carrying water requires manpower, so do not hesitate to ask volunteers for help. You can use electric pots, hair-washing carts and portable gas stoves to boil water.

Preparing formula

If possible, boil the water from water trucks and use it for preparing formula.
Take as much infection control measures as possible without using electricity or gas such as securing an exclusive bottle for each baby and washing it with water before each use, utilizing disposable bottles, using chemical solutions, and so on.

Sleep and rest

It is said that symptoms such as not being able to go to sleep, not being able to sleep soundly, becoming scared when it gets dark, and waking up at the same time the earthquake struck are often observed in pregnant women and postpartum mothers suffered from disaster. In cases like this, some people can relax just by having someone sit down beside them and listen to them. Also, take into consideration the use of sleeping pills when insomnia is severe.

Sanitation

When bathing is not possible, you can use wipes and micro waved towels to keep the body clean. When using wipes, confirm whether it contains alcohol or not, and be careful not to cause rashes on the skin. Showering and bathing are not the only methods to keep bodies clean; try other methods such as wiping the entire body or just parts of the body (for example, wipe the buttocks only). For washing hair, use dry shampoo that does not require any water. Use rub-in disinfectants instead of washing your hands to disinfect your hands and fingers.

Environment

* Keeping warm Especially during times of disaster in winter, there are many complaints: people catch colds easily, the body will not warm up because it is so cold, people cannot stop shaking, and so on. Wrap newspapers, beddings, blankets (electric blankets), emergency blankets (cloth made of aluminum), etc. and/or use disposable pocket warmers (kairo) to keep warm. Newborns are easily affected by the surrounding temperature. When it is cold, have the mother hold the baby, or use linens and other cloths to conserve body heat. Hot water bottles and electric heating pads may be used depending on the status of everything. When using these, be careful of low-temperature burns.

* Smell
Smell can become a problem due to changes in methods of garbage and excrement disposal. Prohibit all use of flush toilets as soon as a disaster strikes, and think of ways to excrete without using water such as utilizing plastic bags and newspaper. And, in combination with ventilation and the use of deodorants, try to come up with ways to handle excrement so that the smell does not seep out (excrete into a plastic bag and tie the mouth of the bag tightly / think of a good place to store them, etc.).