Who Should Be an Aging Parent's Emergency Contact?

An emergency contact is only useful if they answer, know what to say, and can act. A lot of parents still have a spouse who has passed away, or a child who moved across the country years ago, listed on old forms.

What makes a good emergency contact

1. They answer. Someone who keeps their phone on and will pick up an unknown number.
2. They're close, or effective from a distance. Ideally one contact can physically get there. A second can be the person who makes calls and coordinates.
3. They know the basics. Medications, allergies, conditions, and the doctors' names, or exactly where to find them.
4. They have the authority. If your parent has a health care power of attorney, the person named in it is a natural first contact.

Pick a primary and a backup, and agree who calls whom

Decide in advance who gets the first call, who's next, and who tells the rest of the family. A short phone tree prevents the situation where three siblings each assume someone else is handling it.

Where to list emergency contacts

• Your parent's phone. On an iPhone, open the Health app, tap the profile picture, then Medical ID. Add emergency contacts, medications, allergies, and conditions, and turn on Show When Locked so first responders can see it from the Lock Screen without the passcode.
• Their wallet. A card with contacts, allergies, and key medications.
• The fridge. It's easy for anyone in the house to find. Our free printable emergency information sheet is designed for it.
• The doctor's office, pharmacy, and any home care agency. Ask them to update their records.

Tell the contacts themselves

Make sure each person knows they're listed and agrees to it, and that they have your parent's key information or know where to find it. Under HIPAA, if your parent is unable to give permission, a provider may share information with family when it seems to be in your parent's best interest. Even so, the person who arrives with a medication list is far more useful than the one who arrives without it.

Review them when life changes

Check the list after a move, a death in the family, a new phone number, or a change in who handles your parent's care.

In MyParentHQ, emergency contacts are part of the Emergency Packet, alongside medications, allergies, conditions, and insurance, so they're on the same screen you'd show a nurse. You can also give a neighbor or nearby friend Viewer access to the Emergency Packet only, so the person who arrives first has what they need.

This guide is general information, not medical or legal advice.