How carers can create an emergency plan

Advice

Last updated:

September 17, 2026

Most unpaid carers spend their days planning for someone else - between medication timings, appointments, and errands. What far fewer carers plan for is the day they're not there due to their own illness or some other emergency.

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While many carers feel submerged with caregiving plus other responsibilities, it's important not to postpone creating a plan to ensure one emergency doesn't cascade into a much larger problem for the person they care for. Here are some things to consider:

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Key information for handover

If someone had to take over at short notice, what would they need to know in the first ten minutes?

What medication is being taken? When is it administered? In what dosage? Where is it kept?
Does the person have any allergies? What about other dietary needs?
Are they undergoing any other treatment or therapies that are time sensitive?
What are their mobility needs? Where is key equipment kept? Is there anything to know about how the equipment is stored, operated, kept charged?
Where are key supplies such as continence pads kept? Where to get them if supplies are running low?
How does the person communicate?
How to access the house

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Think about important contacts and backup carers

It is helpful to name a specific person or two as people able to take over caring, and to ask them specifically whether they are happy to step in at short notice. Include their contact details and any information about how to reach them at unsociable hours, including if they're asleep! Make sure the person you care for knows who these people are to minimise any discomfort from an unfamiliar face.

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Equally, it can be helpful to include contact info for the GP or other healthcare professionals involved in the person's care, for a care agency if needed, and any other key contacts to keep informed.

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Register with your council

Some councils run a free carers emergency scheme, where they keep hold of your emergency plan once created, and can arrange replacement care when the plan is activated. Check whether your council offers a similar scheme.

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Make sure the emergency plan is easily findable

A carefully written plan is no help if it's in a drawer or buried in a computer folder, while you're in A&E. It is helpful to give a version to your backup carers.

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At the same time, emergency contacts should be similarly accessible. If you carry the National Carers Card in your pocket or wallet wherever you go, first responders or passers-by can easily bring up your emergency contact via the QR code on the card (including if you're stuck somewhere with no data connection).

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Don't stick the plan in a drawer and forget about it once you've created it. If any of the key information changes, including backup carers or medication info, then make sure to update it. It might help to set a reminder on your phone every few months to ensure it's up to date.

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Your printable emergency planning checklist

[ ] Care summary written down: medication, doses, timings, allergies, treatment
[ ] Mobility aids, equipment and continence supplies noted, with suppliers
[ ] Communication needs recorded
[ ] GP, care agency and other important contacts in one place
[ ] Two named backup carers and their contact info
[ ] Emergency contact details for yourself
[ ] Spare keys and access arrangements sorted
[ ] Registered with your council's carers emergency scheme
[ ] Copies shared with family, friends and professionals

[ ] Review date in the diary

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Learn more about emergency planning for carers

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About the National Carers Card

The National Carers Card, set up by carers in 2019, is a form of visual identification for carers across the UK. Designed to support and acknowledge the invaluable role of professional and unpaid carers, the card also helps with accessing discounts and other benefits that make daily life a little easier.