Be emergency ready!

Published May 16 2023

Emergencies can happen anytime. Planning for emergencies will help you to stay calm even when things go wrong. Here’s how to plan for emergencies when you are a carer.

There are two main emergency scenarios you need to have in mind. The first might involve the person you care for. The second might involve you. It’s good to know what to do in a crisis and be ready for emergencies like these.

We recommend making an emergency care plan and carrying a carer emergency card in your wallet. There are templates for both of these at the end of the article.

About emergency care plans

An emergency care plan has all the information about the person you care for in one place, so you can get it quickly and easily.

It makes it easy for someone to take over from you in a hurry. The plan is also useful if someone else will be providing care for a while, or if you need to share information with someone like a healthcare professional.

Your emergency care plan should include:

Personal information about the person you care for (name, address, age, condition, health)
Details of any emergency contacts, including family and friends, guardians or power of attorney and health professionals
Medical history
A list of medicines and how and when they should be given
Care needs, such as what they usually eat and drink and details of personal care
A list of the regular support services they use and upcoming appointment dates, times and locations
Anything else you think someone taking over for you in a hurry would need to know.

Once you have filled in the plan, save it to your phone or computer. You should also print out copies of the plan, and:

Keep a copy somewhere safe and easy to see in your home, along with copies of important documents such as wills, guardianship and powers of attorney
Take a copy with you when you leave home or travel with the person you care for
Give a copy to each of your emergency contacts
Give a copy to your doctor, and anyone else who may need to know what to do.

About carer emergency cards:

A carer emergency card is a card you can carry in your wallet to let people know that you care for someone. It’s a good idea to carry one to help support the person you care for if something happens to you.

This card has the contact details of people who have your emergency care plan and anyone else who can help the person you care for if something happens to you.

The person you care for should also carry a card in their wallet to let people know they are being cared for by you.

Download a blank emergency care plan and cards to fill in at carergateway.gov.au/planning

Watch our Planning for an emergency video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48nDzTLxPJw