Getting help in an emergency 

It’s a good idea to consider having a contingency plan to prepare for a time when you are no longer able to care. We all get ill from time to time or have to take time out, but knowing that someone else will be able to pick up your caring responsibilities in your absence can offer a great deal of peace of mind.

Our online guide to creating a contingency plan explains how many different sources of support can be used to bolster your plan. For example you can: ensure key information is made readily available for professionals; draw on networks of community and family support; and explore what technology can be used to support someone you look after when you can't be in the same place at the same time.  

We advise all carers to create an emergency plan – to support you and all those you look after. Having a plan in place can help ease your worries if you are not able to care for those you look after at any point in the future.  

We can guide you through the process of creating one through our interactive online tool.

In order to create an emergency plan that meets your needs, we recommend you consider bringing together these details: 

• details of the name, address and contact details of the person you look after 
• who you and the person you look after would like to be contacted in an emergency – this might include friends, family or professionals 
• details of any medication the person you look after is taking and where it is stored 
• details of any ongoing treatment they need 
• noting details of any allergies 
• details of their GP and pharmacy 
• any ongoing treatment they need 
• any care and support services they receive 
• any continence products needed and who supplies them 
• any mobility challenges and mobility aids such as a wheelchair or hoist 
• anything behavioural others need to be aware of. 
   

Top tip – Make a note in your diary or on your calendar to review this periodically to ensure the information is kept up to date. 

Having this important information in one place could be of immense support and help when needed at a critical time, when time might be limited. Talk about the plan with the person you care for, if possible, and also with those you would like to be named emergency contacts.  

It would also be useful to share it with trusted family members or friends and healthcare professionals. Give people a copy of the plan – or let them know where they can find it and make sure the information is regularly updated. 

Sometimes, we don’t have as much time as we would like to prepare. Think about whether there are alternative ways of getting essential supplies to the person/people you care for. Perhaps trusted neighbours or local support groups could help with the practicalities of this. 
 
Prepare a single hospital bag for the person you look after. This should include their emergency contact, a list of the types of medication they take (including dose and frequency), any details of planned care appointments and things you would need for an overnight stay (snacks, pyjamas, toothbrush, medication etc). If they have an advanced care plan, please include that. You could also prepare one for yourself. 

You could sign up to a repeat prescription delivery service if the person you care for is reliant on regular prescription medication. 

You may be able to arrange help and support from family and friends but it can be reassuring to involve your local council/trust in case informal arrangements fall through. If you cannot organise alternative care, contact your  local authority  or  health care provider. 

Another way of gaining support in the long term is through arranging an assessment for the person you look after or a carer's assessment for yourself. See our webpage on assessments for the person you look after and  assessments for carers  for further information. Every carer who has an assessment should be asked about emergencies and offered help to plan for them.