When things don’t go to plan
Life can throw up a variety of surprises and emergencies, but there is support, and tools, out there to help you as a carer be more prepared for these situations.
Surrey County Council have information on their website, read that here. Further help includes SCC’s emergency carers card, our ‘All About Us’ planning document; and making sure you’re registered with your utilities provider as a home in need of extra help via the Priory Register. There’s also additional support via Surrey Police’s Herbert Protocol and Pegasus Card scheme.
Details on these below.
Surrey County Council
Surrey County Council have advice for carers on what to do in emergency situations on their website. Read that here.
They also produce a Carers Emergency Card, pictured. We can provide you with one of these – get in touch, or pick one up from our Hubs/events.
Action for Carers’ support and materials
Our team can advise on what to do to prepare for an emergency – call 0303 040 1234 to speak with one of the team. We also have two key resources that help:
Carers Planning Form
You do a great deal as a carer. It’s a good idea to write down all that you do, in one place. That way, if anyone else needs to take over for any reason, it’s easy for them to find out quickly what needs to be done.
To help with this we have a Carer’s Planning Form, ‘All about us’ where you can put all the information about your caring role in one place.
Having a plan can also help you feel less worried, as you know everything is safely recorded.
Our ‘blank’ ‘All About Us’ Carers Planning Form covers:
- The tasks you do
- The needs and behaviours of the person you support
- Medication
- Emergency contacts
- Equipment, etc
Download our Carers Planning Form in WORD
Download our Carers Planning Form as a PDF
Or call us on 0303 040 1234 and we can post it to you.
Completing your plan
Try and be as detailed as possible. Include everything that you do. Write very clearly, or type, and avoid abbreviations.
Once you’ve completed your plan, keep it in a safe place, but let others know where! And if it you have a digital version, email it to trusted friends/neighbours, so they are aware too.
All about Me Form – Hospital Stays
If the person you care for has difficulty communicating, or has a condition such as dementia or autism that might make a hospital stay particularly challenging, please consider using our ‘All About Me’ form.
This simple form outlines the person you care for’s likes and preferences, as well as containing some information about them. Ideally then Hospital Staff are better informed, and the carer for’s hospital stay can be less stressful.
Gas, water, electricity – getting priority support
From keeping water running for drinking and washing hands, to charging medical equipment or mobility scooters, to staying warm, it’s vital to keep utilities going in the event of a problem with your gas, electricity or water supply.
If you or the person you care for are classed as ‘vulnerable’, you can be put on your utility company’s ‘Priority Services Register’, meaning your home will be prioritised in terms of getting emergency supplies and repairs. You’ll also get other benefits, such as advanced notice of planned power cuts or interruptions to water supply, help with accessing prepayment meters, receiving bills in an alternative format and more.
People who may qualify for this service:
- are of pensionable age
- are disabled or chronically sick
- have a long-term medical condition
- have a hearing or visual impairment or additional communication needs
- are in a vulnerable situation
- have young children under the age of five
To find out more about Priority Registers, contact each of your utility providers – their contact details will be on your bills.
Surrey schemes for emergencies
The Herbert Protocol
If you’re the carer of someone with dementia/Alzheimer’s you may worry that they might, at some point, wander off. It may just be into the street for a short time, but people can go further and sadly can get lost.
An important tool to help in these situations, is the Herbert Protocol. It’s a form with specific information to help the police should the person you care for get lost. You fill out the form, which covers things like a recent photo of the person, any medication, places they’ve previously wandered to, etc. If your loved one goes missing, you won’t need to remember or repeat all this information, and the police can quickly get on with the search.
George Herbert was a Normandy Landing veteran who had dementia and sadly died while missing.
Read more about the protocol and find the form on Surrey Police’s website.
Pegasus Scheme
Another scheme from Surrey Police, but tied to all Surrey’s Emergency Services is the Pegasus scheme.
This is for individuals who through disability or illness may find it hard to communicate in an emergency or difficult situation. You simply register your details, and are issued with a card with a PIN.
If there is a situation where you need to contact the Police, you can simply say ‘Pegasus’ and give your PIN, and they can instantly access your details to help without you having to speak. They will share details with other emergency services as required.
More on Pegasus on Surrey Police’s website.
Other items to help in an emergency
‘Message in a Bottle’
The Lions Club Message in a Bottle is a scheme where you store important information in a bottle in your fridge. You display one sticker on the inside of your front door and one on the fridge and emergency professionals know to look for them.
If you would like one, contact our Carers Information Centre on 0303 040 1234.