Are You Prepared for an Emergency?
by Sheryl Karas M.A.
Do you provide hands-on care for someone more than 25 hours per week? Have you ever thought about what would happen to that person if something happens to you? If anyone you love depends on you to such an extent it is imperative to have an emergency plan in place. Who will the police, paramedics, neighbors or friends call in an emergency? Who could step in for you temporarily in such a situation? Where will they find important papers or information about medications or other medical information? Does that person or persons have the training they need? If you can't answer these questions, it's time to call a meeting of the guard. Have a frank discussion with your patient first if possible, then gather the troops (family, neighbors, colleagues and friends) to ask for their assistance. At the meeting, or in conversations on the phone:
* Tell people that you need help in developing an emergency plan and would they be one of the people willing to help out in such a circumstance.
* Describe what you do in detail. Most people are surprised to find that what they have been thinking as a one-person job is really better handled by two or three people working as a team. See who among your emergency corps would be willing to work together if need be.
* Show everyone who is a potential volunteer where important documents (powers of attorney, doctor's phone numbers, wills, bills to be paid, etc.) are kept. If you don't have a specific place, create one.
* Create a phone tree to make it easier to distribute information efficiently.
* If training is needed, arrange for training sessions with the one or two key people who agree to be the first point of contact in a crisis.
* Keep a log of essential medical tasks including a schedule for medication use in a visible location and let people know where it will be kept. Include instructions if something is not immediately obvious.
* Post emergency contact information for paramedics on your front door, on the refrigerator or in some other highly visible location in red. Alternatively, consider engraving the information on a Medic Alert style bracelet for both yourself and your patient.
Caregiving Articles
© Copyright 2007 Sheryl Karas & Paul Hood
A new version of this article can be found in Sheryl’s latest book The Spiritual Journey of Family Caregiving.
Caregiving Articles