"Emergency Bag" Checklist
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Making an "Emergency Bag" before it is needed reduces stress and confusion.
Making an "Emergency Bag" before it is needed reduces the stress and confusion that often accompanies a hospital visit, particularly if the visit is an unplanned trip to the emergency room.
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Personal Information Sheet -- Create a document that includes the following information on your care partner:
- Preferred name and language (some people may revert to native languages in late stage Alzheimer's disease)
- Contact information for doctors, key family members, minister and helpful friends (also program into cell phone, if applicable)
- Illness or medical conditions
- All current medicines and dosage instructions; update whenever there is a change
- Any medicines that have ever caused a bad reaction
- Any allergies to medicines or foods; special diets
- Need for glasses, dentures or hearing aid
- Degree of impairment and amount of assistance needed for activities
- Family information, living situation, major life events
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Work, leisure and spiritual history
Daily schedule and patterns, self-care preferences - Favorite foods and music; touch and visual resources
- Highlight behaviors of concern; how your relative communicates needs and expresses emotions
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Paperwork: Include copies of important documents such as:
- Insurance cards (include policy numbers and pre-authorization phone numbers)
- Medicaid and/or Medicare cards
- Durable Power of Attorney, Health Care Power of Attorney, Living Will and/or an original DNR (do not resuscitate) order
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Supplies for the Care Partner:
- A change of clothing, toiletries and personal medications
- Extra adult briefs (e.g., Depends), if usually worn. These may not be available in the emergency room if needed
- Moist hand wipes such as Wet Ones. Plastic bags for soiled clothing and/or adult briefs
- Reassuring or comforting objects
- An iPod, MP3 or CD player; earphones or speakers
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Supplies for the Caregiver:
- A change of clothing, toiletries and personal medications.
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Pain medicine such as Advil, Tylenol or aspirin. A trip to the emergency room may take
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- A pad of paper and pen to write down information and directions given to you by hospital staff. Keep a log on your care partner's symptoms and problems. You may be asked the same questions by many people. Show them what you have written instead of repeating your answers.
- A sealed snack such as a pack of crackers and a bottle of water or juice for you and your care partner. You may have to wait for quite awhile.
- A small amount of cash.
- Put a note on the outside of the "Emergency Bag" to take a cell phone with you.
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Source:
National Institute on Aging
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