Snowbirds: Be Prepared Before Flying South

Just like the scouts’ motto, seasonal residents have to be prepared when they come south for the winter months. However, that means more than updating your wardrobe and rerouting your mail. Whether you have health issues or not, it’s always a good idea to know your medical information and establish a local physician, says Sharon MacDonald, Vice President of Oncology Services for Lee Memorial Health System. “You should always have a plan for, ‘What happens if…’ It’s so much easier if you have a plan,” says Sharon.

Here is a checklist to help you be 100 percent ready to head toward the Florida sunshine during the winter months:

All Seasonal Residents

• Get copies of your most recent medical records and keep them in one place
• Have a list of all of your medications
• Designate a “next of kin”
• Make sure you have current insurance information
• Bring contact information for your physician up north
• Establish a physician in Florida
   

Seasonal Residents Who Are Cancer Patients
In addition to the list above, make sure you do the following:

• Bring a list of your most recent chemotherapy and radiation treatments
• List any issues or adverse reactions you have had to treatment
• Bring contact information for your oncologist up north
• Establish an oncologist in Florida