Emergency planning

One of the stresses that carers can face is the worry of what would happen to the person they care for if they themselves became suddenly ill or had an accident. Carers’ Resource can help you to plan for these unforeseen circumstances.

Coping with emergencies

What would happen if you were involved in an unforeseen emergency? Have you made plans for coping in a crisis? Most carers worry about what would happen if they were involved in an emergency situation themselves. You may be caught up in traffic or, more seriously, faced with your own sudden illness, an accident or a family crisis. Understandably, you worry about situations which leave the person you care for without help. How will you manage? Can replacement care be arranged quickly and efficiently?

Emergency planning services exist to give carers peace of mind – these may involve providing details of reliable contacts who could act on your behalf in an emergency, although this is not always necessary. These services vary according to where you live.

Below are details of the services that exist if the person you care for lives in North Yorkshire or in Bradford Metropolitan District.

North Yorkshire Carer’s Emergency Card

This is a free service available to anyone aged over 18 years who cares for someone who lives in North Yorkshire. It is run by North Yorkshire Council (NYC).

How does the Carer’s Emergency Card work?

You will need a Carers Emergency Card which comes with information about the scheme and how to register. You can obtain a card from a Carers’ Resource office or any North Yorkshire library. Alternatively, phone NYC Customer Services on 0300 131 2 131 to have a card posted out to you, or request one online: www.northyorks.gov.uk/cec

A Carers Emergency Card is a small plastic card, similar in size to a credit card, which identifies you as a carer but does not contain personal details other than your unique ID number and a 24 hour contact number. Once activated, keep it with you at all times.

To activate the card, you will need to register with NYC, giving information about yourself, the person you are caring for, and people who have agreed to be contacted in an emergency. You can nominate up to 3 contacts (aged over 18). Do make sure everyone involved understands how the scheme works and your proposed emergency plans. You must have their consent before registering.

If you have no one that can act as your emergency contact, you can still register the card and NYC will take appropriate action in an emergency.

If an emergency arises, you (if you are able), or another person, should call the telephone number on your card and quote your ID number. Your named contact(s) will be informed so they can provide appropriate help. If you do not have anyone to be your contact or your named contacts do not respond, NYC will act on your behalf.

The Carers Emergency Card will not be active until it has been registered.

Registering your Carer’s Emergency Card:

Your card should be registered online at: https://www.northyorks.gov.uk/cec. If you are unable to complete an online registration form at home, or you need help with registration, please contact your local Carers’ Resource office or your local library.

Carers who cannot access the internet either at home or with other help, should contact NYCC Customer Services on 0300 131 2 131.

Bradford Council Emergency Planning scheme

If the person you care for pays council tax to Bradford Council, we can help you set up an Emergency Plan.

What is it?

This is a free service available to anyone over 18 years old who cares for someone who lives within Bradford Metropolitan District. The Emergency Planning scheme is run by Carers’ Resource in partnership with Safe and Sound, Bradford Metropolitan District Council’s (BMDC) Community Alarm System. It offers carers peace of mind should they be involved in an emergency situation which takes them away from their caring role, by creating an Emergency Plan.

Along with the plan, carers also receive a wallet-sized plastic card and a keyring to ensure they are identified as a carer if they have an accident or are unable to identify themselves in an emergency. The carer’s card contains no personal details other than a unique ID number and a 24-hour contact phone number, which is phoned in order to activate the Emergency Plan.

Who is it for?

This is a free service to all carers as long as the person they care for lives within the BMDC area.

How to register:

To use the Emergency Plan service you need to be registered as a carer with Carers’ Resource. This will happen as part of the process of registering your Emergency Plan.

Download and complete the Emergency Plan form and return it by email to emergencyplanning@carersresource.org. If you need help with the form please contact our Shipley or Skipton offices: 0808 50 15 939.

Our Contact Team will contact you for the necessary information to register you as a carer. Once you are registered with us we will then process your Emergency Plan.

The Emergency Plan contains important details about the cared-for person and provides valuable information about their circumstances. There is also the opportunity to register names of up to two people who can be contacted in an emergency, these are called ‘responders’.

How does it work?

If a carer has an emergency they, or another person, can call the telephone number on the card and quote the unique number. Safe and Sound will then attempt to contact the named responder. If they are unable to contact any named responders, or there are no named responders, then Safe and Sound will pass the necessary details to BMDC Adult and Community Services Access Point, who will assess the situation and respond accordingly.

Carer responsibilities:

to discuss the Emergency Plan with the cared-for person and ensure that they are happy with it
to inform Carers’ Resource of any changes to their details
to inform Carers’ Resource of any changes to responders’ details, such as changes to telephone numbers
to keep responders up to date regarding any changes
to ensure that their responders understand their responsibilities and agree to be named

Responder responsibilities:

to agree to be contacted and offer support to the cared-for person in case of an emergency
to be aware that Safe and Sound may call them in an emergency situation to support the cared-for person
to inform the carer of any changes to their circumstances so that the carer can update Carers’ Resource

By agreeing to act as a responder they give permission for their details to be stored electronically by Bradford Metropolitan District Council for the purpose of this scheme.

Emergency Plan Form - Bradford

Other schemes that may be useful in an emergency situation:

Message in a Bottle

The scheme is designed to help anyone who has an accident or sudden illness at home. It involves filling in personal and medical details (including details of ‘cared for’ people) on a standard form which is then placed in a small plastic bottle in a common location – the fridge. Two stickers are provided – one to go on the inside of the front door, the other on
the outside of the fridge door. Emergency services are aware of the scheme and will know where to find the Message in a Bottle. Local Lions clubs are responsible for supplying the bottles. Call 0121 441 4544 for details of your nearest Lions club or email: enquiries@lionsclubs.co.uk

ICE – In Case of Emergency

Use your mobile phone’s address book to store the names of people who should be contacted in an emergency – use the prefix ‘ICE’ for these names. Emergency personnel recognise this scheme and by checking ‘ICE’ can identify and call your emergency contacts. Medical notes can also be stored on the phone.

Your phone provider will be able to advise how to do this to ensure that your emergency contacts and medical information can be accessed quickly and easily without unlocking the phone.

Medical ID Alert Bracelets

A medical identification tag is a small emblem or tag worn on a bracelet, neck chain, or on the clothing bearing a message that the wearer has an important medical condition that might require immediate attention. The tag is often made out of stainless steel or sterling silver.

Contact your local hospital and ask them if they offer free medical ID bracelets. If they don’t, ask if they know of any medical foundations in the area that provide these bracelets for free. Your doctor is usually another excellent resource for providing information on free or low-cost medical ID bracelets.

Medical Alert Information Card

This is a credit-card sized plastic card that allows emergency services to have instant access to your medical history and prescription drugs.

What3Words

Postcodes don’t always identify a specific location. To be able to do this in an emergency situation could potentially be life-saving.

What3Words – which is free to emergency services and members of the public – has divided the world into three-metre squares and given each one a unique three-word label. The three word combinations can seem bizarre but are easier to describe to emergency services than describing a location.

Locations are identified using a phone app. Go to: www.what3words.com for more information.

Please note: inclusion in this list does not imply recommendation or endorsement by Carers’ Resource.

You can also get in touch with us if you need other support with emergency planning or any other caring issue.

Factsheet - Coping with Emergencies

One of the stresses that carers can face is the worry of what would happen to the person they care for if they themselves became suddenly ill or had an accident. Carers’ Resource can help you to plan for these unforeseen circumstances.

Coping with emergencies

North Yorkshire Carer’s Emergency Card

Bradford Council Emergency Planning scheme

Carers

Bradford

Harrogate

Skipton

Selby

CQC rating

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