Planning for emergencies as a carer
It’s important to think about who will care for your friend or family member if something happens to you. If you become ill or go into hospital, knowing that you have a plan in place can give you peace of mind. We share ideas on how to make a back-up care plan so that the person you care for and anyone else involved in their care will be prepared if something happens.
On this page:
Having a back-up carer
A family member or friend may be willing to be a back-up carer. Check that the person you care for is comfortable with this. You can then:
- discuss what they would need to do
- give them copies of any documents or emergency plans
- check with the GP or district nurse if you have any questions.
Making an emergency plan
Write down key things about your friend or family member’s health and care so that other people will know what to do if you’re unable to care for them. You could include:
- their contact details and next of kin
- their GP and healthcare team's contact details
- their back-up carer’s contact details
- their condition and healthcare needs
- what care and support they need
- how they communicate
- their usual routine
- any things they like or dislike
- any allergies they have
- what medication they take, and where it’s stored
- what they need at mealtimes and any dietary requirements
- if they have a Power of Attorney.
You could also include information about how to get into their home, who has spare keys, and how to use things like the central heating.
Give a copy to your back-up carer, the GP or district nurse, and anyone else involved in their care. You can also place a copy somewhere obvious in your friend or family member’s home, for example on the fridge.
Get more ideas about making an emergency plan from Carers UK.
Telling the council you're a carer
It can be reassuring to have the local council or trust involved.
You’re entitled to a carer’s needs assessment from your local social care services if you live in England, Wales or Northern Ireland. In Scotland, you can have an adult carer support plan or young carers statement. This isn’t to assess how good you are at caring, but to ask you about your needs and how being a carer impacts your life.
The assessor should ask about emergencies and what arrangements you’ve already made. The council may help if you don’t have a plan or back-up carer.
Find out how to apply for a carer’s needs assessment.
You could also speak with the GP or district nurse to see if there’s a rapid response service in your area. This means arranging temporary nursing care at home at short notice.
If something then happened to you, the council, GP or district nurse might arrange:
- a paid care worker to go into your friend or family member’s home
- for them to go into a hospice or care home.
Carer’s emergency card schemes
Check with your local council or trust if they have a carer’s emergency card scheme.
You’re given a card or keyring with a unique identification number and the scheme’s phone number to carry around with you. If something happens that means you’re unable to return home and make your own arrangements, emergency and health services will call the scheme’s phone number. They’ll make arrangements for the person you care for.
Find your local carer’s support service through Carers UK.
Saving emergency numbers on your phone
Your phone may have options for saving emergency contact details. Depending on the make and model, you may be able to set your lock screen to display an emergency contact number.
Try searching in your phone’s settings for:
- emergency contact details
- emergency SOS
- lock screen preferences.
How to set your lock screen to display emergency contact details.
If your phone is not password-protected, you could save emergency contact details in your address book. Save their name as ‘ICE’ which stands for ‘in case of emergency’. Ambulance, police or hospital staff may look for ICE in your phone’s address book and call that person if something happens to you.
If you have more than one person to contact in an emergency, list them as ICE1, ICE2, ICE3.
Carer’s Allowance and emergencies
You can still get Carer’s Allowance if you temporarily stop caring for someone. If you can’t care for your friend or family member because you’re ill or in hospital, you can continue to claim Carer’s Allowance for up to 12 weeks.
Find out more about Carer’s Allowance.
Need to talk?
Life is more challenging right now, but we're still here for you.
No matter your worries, our nurses, trained officers and volunteers are here to listen.
- Call our free Support Line on 0800 090 2309
- Chat to us on webchat
- Send us an email at support@mariecurie.org.uk
- Speak with other people in similar situations on our online community
Our Support Line is open 8am – 6pm Monday to Friday and 11am – 5pm on Saturday. On bank holidays we're open 10am – 4pm.
External websites
NHS website – help with emergency planning
NI Direct – caring and support services in Northern Ireland
Health and social care in Northern Ireland website
About this information
This information is not intended to replace any advice from health or social care professionals. We suggest that you consult with a qualified professional about your individual circumstances. Read more about how our information is created and how it's used.
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