Emergency Planning

When you care for somebody who depends on you, putting your life on hold while you deal with sudden illness, accidents, family troubles or emergencies may not be an option. Having a plan in place can ease worry and stress when unforeseen events do occur.

Emergency care plans

An Emergency Care Plan is a document that provides instructions and guidance to allow someone else to step in and provide the care which you would normally provide. This provides reassurance the person you care for will receive the support they need should anything happen to you.

The Carer Gateway Emergency Care Plan Template has been created specifically for carers.

Create your plan

Your Emergency Care Plan will capture the contact details of people who have agreed to fill in for you in an emergency. It will also include instructions on the care and support they may need to provide.

The plan helps you record health information about the person you care for, their medications, the care they need, and a list of the regular support services they receive. You can also include expectations you have for the person who steps into the caring role.

Helpful tips:

• Talk to the person you care for and include them in planning where possible
• Think about the best people to stand in for your caring responsibilities
• Ask if they are prepared to act as emergency contacts
• Be sure the people you choose accept the level of commitment they are taking on and understand and are comfortable with the tasks they might need to perform
• Confirm the details about the person you are caring for are correct by checking with the person’s doctor, pharmacist, and service providers
• Give a copy of your plan to each of your emergency contacts
• Keep the original in a safe but visible place, like the top of the fridge
• Update your plan every year or sooner if there are significant changes to your caring situation, the person’s needs or your emergency contacts.

Disaster Planning

Natural disasters include events such as floods, bush fires, storms and extreme heat. Being prepared can help you make decisions, stay safe, and support recovery.

There is a lot of information available. Some carers may find navigating and understanding this information overwhelming, particularly if they have limited time or support a person with complex needs. Carers NSW has created tailored disaster planning resources in consultation with industry experts and carers with lived experiences of natural disasters.

You can register for a Caring Through Crisis: Disaster Planning workshop through the Carers NSW Upcoming events page.

Video introduction

Click on the video below to watch a 15 minute introduction to the disaster planning resources.

Handbook

The Caring through Crisis: Disaster Planning Handbook explores the disasters carers may face, additional needs when caring for someone, tools and knowledge that may help, and who can assist before, during and after a disaster event.

There is also a copy of the Carer Gateway emergency care plan template and the evacuation plan and checklists described below.

Evacuation plan

Things can change quickly in a natural disaster. This Carers NSW Evacuation Plan helps carers plan what to do should they need to remove themselves and their families from the disaster affected area.

Evacuation checklist

The Carers NSW Evacuation Checklist is a one page summary of your evacuation plan. It can be stored somewhere handy like on the fridge.

Go kit checklist

The Carers NSW Go Kit Checklist is a one page list of items you, the person you care for, your family and pets may wish to take with you. It can also be stored somewhere handy like on the fridge.

Video stories

Click on the videos below to watch Jess and Helen share their experiences from the 2020/21 bushfires.