Emergencies and the Disabled Adult Child

Nov 7, 2011
Deborah Crow

Mystethoscope - By Darnyi Zsóka (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Preparing for any emergency involving the disabled adult child.

When caring for the disabled adult child living with you, it's important to be prepared for the emergencies that may arise.

Emergencies always seem to happen when everything is either closed for the day or it's a weekend or holiday, when most doctors and other support staff are not available. For most of us, everyday emergencies happen once in a blue moon but, for those with disabilities--whether physical, psychological or cognitive--urgent situations are more frequent events that require immediate attention.

Set aside a small suitcase or some other container and place the following objects you'll need for any emergency regarding your adult child with disabilities (in fact, anyone with children can assemble this "kit" and anything important and relevant such as immunization records, birth certificates, money, phone numbers, etc):

Create a Journal

This could be a simple notebook purchased at the dollar store. Add a new journal entry when your son's/daughter's medications change, when a new doctor is added or when other changes happen within your adult child's care.

List any new behaviors or symptoms that you are observing, the date, note what medications they took before the behavior and who you called for assistance. Try to keep it to one page and list the entire medication routine, including dosage amount and frequency. List how long they've been on the medications and, lastly, note when their next appointment will be and indicate the name of the physician.

Keep this journal in the container and at the next available opportunity, make a copy so that you can give it to the paramedic or emergency room staff. Keep this updated as much as possible and take it with you to your son's/daughter's next appointment to show the doctor. This journal can provide an accurate record for the physician.

Keep the entries separate from each other in the notebook so that you can copy the information relevant to the event. You don't want to confuse the hospital or paramedics with old information, so keep each entry on its own page.

A journal will not only provide the hospital staff and paramedics with a detailed record, but it will also give you peace of mind that all the information vital to your child's recovery is available to them. You won't have to remember whether or not you have forgotten to tell them about these new behaviors or medication changes that occurred during the actual emergency because you have already recorded this in the journal.

Fill out and sign a Release Form:

If your disabled son or daughter is over 18 years of age, you'll need a simple release form signed by you, your child and a witness. Make multiple copies of the form and place these copies with the journal, in a separate folder inside the container. This is important because with the new laws in place, even if you care for or are the parent of the person needing help, the hospital staff cannot release information unless this form is signed by the patient.

These release forms can be useful for other adult family members as well. If the individual is not coherent enough to sign or understand when the staff present the release form at the hospital, it could be days before you receive information from the staff. The information in the release form can be handwritten or print a form from the internet.

I have two such forms. The first one is a HIPAA Form. I made the second form on my computer and worded it clearly. It states that in the event my son (name) requires medical attention, either in an emergency or not, I am given permission to speak to any doctor or hospital staff member overseeing my son's care. I worded it to include treatment plans, medication changes, health problems, test results and the like to cover as many areas as possible so that I would be able to discuss my son's total care with his team openly and without complications. I signed it, I had my son sign it and a friend in front of a notary official and it was notarized.

This may seem like overkill, but I've learned it's far better to cover the bases than to be left out in the cold during an emergency. The above forms can also be filed with all the child's doctors, day programs and any other aspect of his/her life you are overseeing on their behalf.