Seniors and Emergency Situations

For seniors who need to have someone around to help them in daily life, it's important to have a caregiver who understands the proper procedures to follow during a medical emergency. A good caregiver will be perceptive of a senior’s condition at all times, and be able to realize if a medical emergency is occurring, and if so, to call 911 as soon as possible. It can be a major advantage for a caregiver to possess a cellular phone, in case an emergency happens away from a land-line. At ACS, whether or not a caregiver has a cellular phone to use in case of emergency is a major factor in matching caregivers with clients. After having reached 911 operators, the next step would be for the caregiver to follow all instructions until the senior is in the care of medical responders. The caregiver would then call the senior's emergency contacts, and travel to the hospital to be with the senior. At ACS the caregiver would then call our offices, and keep us informed, so that we can know about any changes to the senior's needs that might occur due to the emergency. The good judgment to recognize an emergency when it happens, and then follow appropriate emergency procedures is a quality that ACS demands from all of its caregivers.
To prepare for medical emergencies, in addition to the option of in-home care and keeping family close by, seniors who will be alone in the home can also consider purchasing an emergency signalling device that they could wear at all times. Various companies produce these devices, and they can make it possible for a senior to get emergency attention in incapacitating situations, such as after a bad fall, when dialing 911 might not be an option.
Everyone hopes that emergencies don't happen, but it is important to be prepared for them if they do.