How to Create an Emergency Caregiver Backup Plan

No family caregiver likes to think an emergency will happen that leaves them unable to care for a senior loved one. But it’s a reality many families experience every day. A caregiver may face a crisis of their own, from an acute medical event to a car accident. If a backup caregiving plan isn’t in place, an older adult’s safety and well-being can be put at risk.

A caregiver backup plan should include two key areas. One is written copies of all your loved one’s medical information. The other is a list of people and senior care providers who can be counted on for assistance.

Assemble and Organize Key Health Information

First, you’ll want to gather together copies of your senior family member’s medical and legal information and organize it in a binder. While you might prefer to store all of this information digitally for your own use, the goal here is to make it as easy as possible for a member of your backup team to step in and take over. At a minimum, you’ll want this binder to include:

• Legal documents: Start by creating a section for important legal documents. If your loved one has them, include their power of attorney, living will, and last will and testament. (The names of these documents may vary by state.) You should also include copies of any insurance cards and their long-term care insurance policy, if they have one.
• Medication list/schedule: This is an important section to include. Be sure to update it any time a medication is added or discontinued. Document which physician prescribed each medication and when it needs to be taken. Don’t forget to incorporate over-the-counter medications. Just in case you’ll be unavailable for an extended period of time, also list the pharmacy where prescriptions are filled and whether some are sent via mail.
• Summary medical history: The next section to add to your binder is your loved one’s medical history. List all their past surgeries and serious illnesses, as well as any chronic diseases that need to be managed. This is a good place to put copies of physician visit summaries, too.
• Physician contact information: If you don’t already have one, create a list of all the physicians and medical providers the senior sees and what condition each one treats. Include phone numbers, fax numbers, and office addresses.
• Daily routine information: If the senior has a structured daily routine or a special diet they need to stick to, include detailed notes in this section. Write down when they like to get up, what they prefer for meals, any reminders or prompts needed, and when they go to bed. Also note any tips for maintaining the older adult’s best quality of life.Interview and Screen Local Senior Care Providers

Interview and Screen Local Senior Care Providers

The second part of creating a caregiver backup plan is critical: develop a list of those who can be counted on to care for your loved one if you aren’t able to do so. This might be a combination of friends, family, and senior care professionals.

• Friends and family who live nearby: Think about who you could trust with your loved one’s care and how quickly they could get to the senior in the event of an emergency. If there are family members who can help but live a great distance away, have a plan for someone to step in until family arrives. Include a list of these people and their contact information in your caregiver backup plan. It’s best to utilize friends and family your senior loved one is familiar with, especially if your loved one has dementia. One final tip is to review your binder of information ahead of time with each backup caregiver.
• Professional caregivers: Many families find the support of a professional home care agency to be helpful when a family caregiver isn’t available. Some agencies can provide around-the-clock care. Before a crisis occurs, interview a few agencies and narrow the list of choices to two or three you feel comfortable with. Once or twice a month, if possible, use the services of the one you think is the best fit so the caregivers can get comfortable with the senior.
• Assisted living communities: Many assisted living communities offer short-term respite care. This is a reliable solution when a caregiver becomes unavailable. Take time to research and tour nearby assisted living communities. Come up with one or two you feel would be a good fit for the senior and see what paperwork you might need to complete in advance. It might be a good idea to have the senior go for a trial stay, a few days or a week, before you actually need their services.

Invest in a Mobile Monitoring Device

Another step that family caregivers can take to ensure a senior loved one’s safety is to invest in a mobile monitoring device. In the event of an emergency, a quick press of a button can summon help. Call 1-844-203-5617 to learn more!