Document your life, medical info for emergencies

At the risk of sounding like a broken record (only those of us of “a certain age” know what that means!), one of the most important things you can do to protect yourself and your loved ones is compiling all of your important information in one place.

Precious seconds can be saved if a paramedic responding to an emergency has access to all of the patient’s medical information, including health history, medications, surgeries, insurance information and phone number for the primary health care provider.

A good place to put it is on the refrigerator, where a first responder is most likely to look.

But when I got to thinking about it, I realized that our loved ones need a lot more information in an emergency that may result in a hospital or nursing home stay, or even death. I decided to create a booklet that I could use to provide the information my family might need.

Now, I’m offering this valuable new “Emergency Life File” as a free service to my readers. To request one — or two if you’re a couple — email me at teri@northshorern.com.

This is not the same as the information you keep on the fridge or something you would tuck into a suitcase before a trip. It contains personal identifiable information (PII) that you want to keep in a secured location, one only your family, attorney or financial adviser has access to.

As a patient advocate, I’ve seen families thrown into turmoil, emotional as well logistical, when they realize they have to make some decisions and start taking care of mom’s or dad’s accounts and details. It’s sometimes hard to think about these things, but giving your family peace of mind knowing that they don’t have to figure all of this out on their own is a wonderful, caring gift.

Let’s walk through the Emergency Life File. You might be surprised at the level of detail it asks for — things you might not even have thought of.

The first few pages are just what you expect: Name, address, date of birth, gender, ethnicity. There’s space for a Social Security number, but if you’re not comfortable including it, you can use the “xxx-xx-last 4 digits” format.

You may include login information for banks, investment accounts, credit cards and real property so your family can access them if you become incapacitated. As a reminder, keep this information in a secure location, but tell your family how to access it.

The next page provides insurance information, including Medicare and Medicaid ID numbers, and contact info for your doctor and patient advocate. After that comes information on any life insurance policies or long-term care policies you are carrying.

There are pages devoted to your online and social media accounts, including passwords, so these can be disabled or deleted if you become incapacitated. Also a list of friends and relations who should be notified of your hospitalization or death.

As a dog mom to three King Charles spaniels, I would worry more about their care than about myself in an emergency. So there are pages devoted to them: names, feeding and walking schedules, medications, vet’s name and microchip number.

There are also pages where you can list important documents and where to find them, such as advance health care directive, health care power of attorney, financial power of attorney, estate plan and will. Also pages where you can note your end-of-life instructions and preferences for a funeral or celebration of life.

One more recommendation: Don’t wait too long. You want to compile this information while you’re cognitively able to do it and ensure family members know where it is and what’s in it.

Again, email me at teri@northshorern.com to request your copy. I hope you will find it to be useful, and that you will let me know what you think.

• Teri (Dreher) Frykenberg is a board-certified patient advocate. A critical care registered nurse for 30+ years, she is founder of NShore Patient Advocates (www.NorthShoreRN.com). She is offering a free phone consultation to Daily Herald readers; email her at teri@northshorern.com.