Post by: Darra Wray, Founder – My Data Diary, LLC (Originally posted September 8, 2019)
Emergencies can happen wherever you are, and travel plans are ruined by illness and injury more often than most people imagine. As you prepare for your next business trip, vacation or adventure, make sure you take with you (or have access to) the information you will need in case of a medical emergency:
- Medication List
- Allergies, Health Conditions, and Blood Type
- Physician Contact Information
- Emergency Contact Information
- Health Insurance Information
- Living Will and Healthcare Power of Attorney
A few additional important items to consider:
- If you are traveling internationally, you will also want to confirm that your health insurance will cover events outside of the United States. If it doesn’t, you should consider purchasing a travel insurance policy that will cover any medical expense incurred while you are traveling.
- If you have children under the age of 18 who will not be traveling with you, make sure you leave important health information and necessary treatment consents with their caregivers will have the information and permissions they need to take care of them while you are gone.
- If you are leaving pets behind, make sure your pet sitter has all of the information they would need to take care of a pet emergency.
- And, don’t forget to leave the housesitter with your contact information and the contact information for your regular emergency contacts and close family or friends who can help out in the event of an emergency at home.
Keeping track of all the information and authorizations needed today to care for yourself and your loved ones can be overwhelming. Luckily, there are some great digital tools available to help you manage your information on the go:
Web-Based Health Information Organizers:
Family Information Organizers:
- Prisidio (Web-Based with a subscription)
- My Data Diary+ (Stand-alone software with a one-time fee)
Having the right information, in the right place, and at the right time in a medical emergency will save you time, money, and frustration. It could even save your life!
Darra Wray is a Care Consultant and Certified Senior Advisor in Boise, Idaho. She founded My Care Companions and My Data Diary, LLC to help family caregivers streamline and simplify the business of life.