Hospital "Go-Bag" - Do you need one?
- tifaniesbriscia
- Aug 20
- 2 min read
I heard this great article on NPR about a Pharmacist who made a ‘go-bag’ for his 90+ year old dad who started having a lot of falls and kept going to the hospital. His father lived alone still but the multiple falls were becoming scary, and he wanted to do more. They put together a bag, much like a bag you would bring to the hospital when having a baby, and it had everything the hospital staff needed to know. His name, birthday, allergies, meds, emergency contacts, extra clothes, hearing aid batteries, toothbrush, a book (or whatever he enjoyed doing). I thought, how genius and simple. Not only would this save the patient (his father) and the medical team a great deal of time and stress, but also this is such a great anxiety and stress relief for the family and/or caregivers.
One thing I always stress to caregivers and anyone that will listen, is to keep a list of your medications on a piece of paper in your wallet. I even had my mom and sisters keep a list of my gram’s medications in their wallet or saved on their cell phones just in case. My gram could be a little forgetful, so it was important that her emergency contacts also had her information if she was in an emergency situation. It was also important my gram had the numbers of her emergency contacts on a list in her purse. As a nurse, I can selfishly say having this information does make our life easier if a patient comes in for an emergency. But also, having this information allows us to quickly and efficiently treat your loved one. It's really a win-win on all ends – patient, family, healthcare worker. So next time you are with your aging or fragile loved one, write down the important info and put it somewhere emergency responders can easily find it. And think about making your own 'go-bag'. It will save your loved one and you a lot of stress.
Emergency Contact Information
Name, Address & Phone
Date of Birth
Allergies
Medications & Diagnosis
Emergency Contacts
Hearing Aid batteries, extra glasses, denture info,
Extra clothes
Book or something to keep busy if admitted
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