Even with good dietary habits, exercising regularly, and never climbing a ladder while wearing flip-flops, any one of us could find ourselves at the Emergency Department. Being prepared for the possibility will help the Emergency Physician greatly, if the day comes!
The well-prepared continuity planner (what is more “continuous” than maintaining good health) will have lists ready, either on paper, or a computer flash drive, or on the smartphone. A well-prepared person will have a “go bag” ready in case of medical emergency. In the go-bag would be needed information plus a small supply of emergency medications or devices, and any medications taken on an ongoing basis, such as HRT therapies. Even having a paperback book in the go-bag even if it’s not your “current” read can be a godsend when sitting in the waiting room at the hospital trying not to imagine what communicable disease everybody else has. And I am guessing if you asked the nurses at Emergency, “go home and get my phone charger” is the most-used phrase.
Readily-available lists (paper/flash drive/phone) should describe (1) current and past medical conditions and surgeries, (2) major illnesses of the immediate family, (3) names, addresses, and phone numbers of everybody on your medical support team, (4) the exact name, dosage, and frequency of all medications, and (5) all contact information for your emergency contacts and their relationship to you. Your Care Card is likely already with you as part of your driver’s license, but if not, a photocopy would be a good thing for the go-bag.
Most families probably don’t want to have a go-bag for each person, but it can be amalgamated with the needs for each family member all together.
Finally, your advance directives should be in the go-bag. This includes documents such as a living will, health care directives, and other instructions to doctors and family members on how to handle the worst-case scenarios, so that your wishes are carried-out.