Easy-Access Emergency Health Info

Aging and Life Enhancement
By Kathryn Kilpatrick, M.A.

Every person who prepares is one less person who panics in a crisis. ~attributed to Mike Adamson

During a medical emergency, every moment counts. Detailed information may be needed but the person on the scene may not know helpful specifics that would alert medical personnel to the patient’s chronic conditions, medications or allergies. What if a person with some memory, hearing or other challenges calls 911 but is unable to provide any specifics essential to their care?

Being able to provide pertinent information can be challenging, especially under stressful circumstances. For instance, the hired caregiver for one of my home health patients was unavailable so the daughter’s coworker offered to help out for the afternoon. Typically, that might not be a problem since the woman was somewhat familiar with the situation, but then the unexpected happened.

The older woman fell out of her bed before I arrived. EMS came and got her back into bed and all seemed okay. When I arrived and started talking with her, she seemed more confused and her speech was a bit slurred. I called EMS and because it was a second call, they needed to take her to the hospital for an assessment. She asked for a glass of water and this is where having the necessary information was critical. I knew she was on thickened liquids secondary to a prior stroke and aspiration pneumonia so I found the thickener and added the appropriate amount to the water. Might seem like a small thing but it wasn’t. Then there was the man in the hospital with confusion and he was agitated; eventually they figured out why. He was worried about his dog.

In these situations and other medical emergencies, the proper care response could have been streamlined if the patients had stored their vital health information inside their refrigerators, where EMS personnel are trained to look for medical forms and other health care directives packaged in a plastic packet and marked clearly. EMS access to this information increases the likelihood of receiving timely and appropriate intervention when police, fire and emergency personnel are called to your home in case of a medical emergency.

Keep this in mind, perhaps for yourself, a friend, family member or a neighbor. It is important to keep it in a place that is visible but private. Many times in my years as a speech-language pathologist in home health care, there were often many caregivers for an individual and frequent substitutions when a hired caregiver was not available. 

My concerns resulted in the creation of a more detailed information document and it was developed in conjunction over a period of months with the input of a team of local fire and police representatives. A local EMS director noted it could be useful in many situations, especially for the elderly or those with more complex medical concerns of any age. In stressful situations, the recall of vital details can be forgotten or presented incorrectly. Storing it on an electronic device may be helpful, especially if the original document is misplaced or becomes illegible.

Currently, there are a variety of options available but consider some of these suggestions because they might offer more details for a bigger picture, especially if a caregiver may have some memory or cognitive issues that are not so obvious.

Update your vital health information regularly. One key person should have that responsibility. Distribute it to anyone you feel might need it.  NOTE: Keep a printed copy in the car, especially when traveling or visiting.

IMPORTANT AREAS TO CONSIDER
Pick what is pertinent and add other concerns. Type it up to assure readability and have several copies so a medical person can also have a copy. Use this as a guideline as you create some version of this document:

Basic information

1. Name, phone and relationship of people with knowledge of the situation
2. People living at the address
3. Pets and names
4. Language spoken and education level, if appropriate
5. All contact information

Medical History Overview

1. Typical blood pressure range
2. Blood type
3. Diabetic – dialysis
4. Swallowing problem details – diet level/liquids
5. Major illnesses/diagnoses/surgeries
6. Updated shots record

Medications

• Where located
• List and details
• Pharmacy
• Peron with updated information
• Supplements/vitamins, etc.

Allergies

• Medications
• Food
• Insect bites
• Environmental

Ambulation/ Walking Aids 

• Cane, walker
• Should not walk alone/ unable walk safely alone
• Wheelchair
• Other precautions

Hearing

• Level of loss
• Hearing aid(s) or listening device
• Needs large print or gestures helpful
• Sensitive to loud noises

Vision

• Needs large print
• Wears glasses/ contact lenses
• Glaucoma/macular degeneration/ cataracts
• Visual neglect/ right or left
• Legally blind
• Needs bright light
• Glare and bright lights bothersome

Comprehension – Listening/ Reading/ Memory

• Trouble understanding sentences spoken or complex directions
• Trouble if talking too fast  – speak slower and face forward
• Trouble reading information – need larger print and short sentences
• Too much information is hard  to follow
• Gestures may be helpful
• Background noise makes it difficult

Speech

• My speech is difficult to understand (stroke or diagnosis)
• I have a communication device or chart
• I  may substitute incorrect words
• Give me 2-word choices
• Ask me yes/no questions instead

Medical Providers

• Preferred Hospital and location
• Agencies involved with
• Name/ specialty/ phone

Whether or not you want to have confidential details available (Power of Attorney, insurance details etc.), consider listing a contact person for providing that information.

In helping others, we shall help ourselves. For whatever good we give out completes the circle and comes back to us. -Flora Edwards