A Home Emergency Plan for Older Adults and Family Caregivers

An emergency plan helps family members know whom to contact and where to find essential information. It should be tailored to the person and reviewed with their healthcare professionals when medical needs or emergency instructions are involved. A plan is useful only if the people expected to use it know where it is.

Gather essential contacts

List the older adult's preferred contact, family backup, healthcare professionals, pharmacy, and the home care provider's appropriate contact number. Include the local emergency number and the person's address in a location that can be found quickly. Keep a copy accessible to the person and authorized helpers.

Record practical household details

Note where a phone, flashlight, basic supplies, and mobility aids are kept. Identify safe exits and a meeting point if the household needs to leave. If the person uses medical equipment, ask the healthcare team or equipment provider how to plan for an outage or interruption; do not guess at technical instructions.

Agree on who does what

Assign a primary and backup family contact. Clarify when a caregiver should call family, the provider, a clinician, or emergency services. Do not ask a non-medical caregiver to make clinical decisions outside their training and role.

Review the plan with the older adult and authorized helpers before an emergency occurs. Make sure people know how to reach the designated contact and where the written plan is kept. If there are medical devices, mobility equipment, or special instructions, ask the relevant professional how those should be handled during an outage or evacuation.

Review the plan regularly

Update phone numbers, access instructions, and contact permissions when they change. Revisit the plan after a move, a change in mobility, or a new care arrangement. Practice simple household steps together if appropriate, while respecting the older adult's comfort and abilities.

For Idaho-specific caregiver resources, visit the Idaho Commission on Aging. For non-medical home care in the Treasure Valley, call (208) 329-8509.