Sudden trips to the hospital can leave you scrambling and forgetting half of what you need. If you take a little bit of time to prepare, though, you’ll feel a lot less scattered in an emergency.

Pack a Bag for Each of You

A packed bag is a lot easier to grab and to run out the door with, especially in an emergency. Make sure that you take some time and really think through what you might need for an unexpected hospital visit. A change of clothing for each of you, medications, phone chargers, and anything else you can think of might make the list. Some of those items, like your phone, you’ll need to remember to bring. But plenty of them can be pre-packed and left in a hall closet, ready to go.

Keep a List of Emergency Phone Numbers

You never know when you’ll need to know the pharmacy number or some other number you don’t use often enough to have with you. If you’ve got a list, either on paper or on your phone, with all the numbers you might possibly need, you’re going to feel a lot more prepared. It’s a good idea to periodically update that list, just in case.

Update Her Medication List Regularly

So many aging adults take medications, and your senior might as well. In an emergency situation it’s a lot more difficult than you expect to come up with medications, dosages, and other important information about those medications. Save yourself the headache and keep an updated copy of your senior’s medications handy. Any time that her medications change, update the list. That way if and when you need it, you’ve got it.

Bring Something Fun and Distracting

The last place you want to be bored is at the hospital. There might be a television, but that’s not always helpful. Try to remember to bring something fun and distracting for your senior and for you. You might bring a tablet with fun games on it or a craft that she really likes and that is portable. When you’ve both got something to keep your mind off what’s happening, that can make the situation a lot easier.

It can be really scary to have to race off to the hospital, but a little bit of preparation can help you and your elderly family member more than you think. It’s a good idea to let elderly care providers know where they can find copies of your lists and where your senior’s go bag is, just in case they need them when you’re away.

If you or an aging loved-one are considering home care in Pittsburgh, PA, talk to the caring staff at Superior Home Care today. Call us at 412.754.2600