If you are the primary carer of a loved one with disability, you will know so much about the support that your loved one needs on a daily basis.

Your emergency care plan should document this knowledge so that if an emergency happens, there is a plan in place for someone else to step in and provide care. It should also nominate who should step-in, in the event of an emergency.

Life has a habit of throwing us curveballs so it’s important to have a backup plan in place should anything happen that impacts your capacity to care for your loved one.

What is an Emergency Care Plan?

An emergency care plan has all the information about your loved one and the care they need in one place. This makes it easier for someone to take over care in the case of an emergency.

What Should an Emergency Care Plan Include?

The emergency care plan for your loved one should include all of the information someone else would need to know to care for them. The plan should be as detailed as necessary to ensure continuity of care. Here are some of the things you might want to consider when making your emergency care plan:

• Step-by-step instructions on how to care for your loved one
• Contact details of family and friends who are nominated to step-into your caring role in the case of an emergency and know and understand what to do
• An emergency care card which lists the contact details of all of the people who can help in an emergency to pop into your wallet or purse
• Contact details of your loved one’s health team such as their GP, therapists and hospital team (if applicable)
• Review and update your care plan regularly as things change so that it is always up to date
• Provide your regularly updated care plan to your loved one’s care team

Emergency Support Plan Template

The Carer Gateway Emergency Care Plan Template is a great resource to help you create your loved one’s emergency care plan. It includes instructions on how to use the template and allows you to fill in all of the following information:

• Instructions on care
• Emergency contact information
• Medication information and contacts
• Medicine list
• Additional notes
• Carer emergency card

Carer Gateway Emergency Care Plan Template

Further Information

If you need help filling in your emergency care plan you can:

• Get in touch with your InFocus Support Coordinator, or
• Call Carer Gateway on 1800 422 737