Emergency planning for carers

In the A to Z run up to publication of my new book Carers and Caring; the One Stop Guide; how to care for older relatives and friends I am sharing some of the practical solutions learned from research and experience. If you think any problems have been missed you can email me and tell me, and I’ll make sure they are covered in the next edition and online on my website at www.juneandrews.net. 

Emergency plan

This is a plan that carers set out so that care can be provided in case of emergencies. You may find a blank emergency planning template on the website of many carer organisations, for example www.actionforcarers.org.uk. 

Planning ahead makes a sudden change of circumstances less likely to create a crisis. In the plan you record general information about the person and their contact details, and the name of anyone who holds a key for the house where they stay. Make sure all the people involved know that they are named on it. There are spaces for contact details of people who can be reached if you’re not available, and information about any provider agencies that normally go into the house. If someone has power of attorney or lasting power of attorney, then the details should be there as well. Contacts for the GP and the pharmacy are needed in case there is a medical emergency. There is much more information that can be included, and you can decide what is most important. Copies of it should be given to those mentioned and to care agencies, and one copy left with the person you care for. 

The plan can be set out like a daily diary, with the routine of times and tasks and who is expected to call in. It should be a live document that is updated regularly and provides the information needed for the first two or three days after an emergency that prevents you from providing your usual care. Special information in the plan would include where medication is kept, information on any allergies, and anything else that the person who steps in for you should know. The time to do it is now.

The emergency plan is different from the Bottle in the Fridge emergency information scheme. These bottles are for older people who live in their own homes and have health issues. Basic medical information is put inside a special bottle that is stored in the fridge. Service providers will know this is a good place to look for essential information in an emergency, and they are alerted to this by a sticker just inside the front door, which tells them to look in the fridge. That information is brief, but essential. You could have both an emergency plan and a fridge bottle and one could refer to the other. You need to check if that scheme is running in your area.

There is much more about emergency planning in  Carers and Caring: The One-Stop Guide: How to care for older relatives and friends - with tips for managing finances and accessing the right support  available from all good bookshops in May 2022

Three hints:

1.     Get a plan template before you think you might need it

2.     Involve others in making the plan

3.     Make sure that key people know there is a plan and where to find it