For some time I had been thinking that we needed to have emergency bags packed for both of us, in case one of us had to unexpectedly go to the hospital. Well, it was a good idea, but I never got around to doing more than thinking about it. Not good.
After having a very ill caregiver and a demented spouse spend ten and a half hours in the emergency room, packing our emergency bags just jumped to the top of my to-do list. There are so many things I now know are essential to keep us both from falling apart in that situation. (The first thing we realized would have been helpful was inflatable air mattresses, so we could lay down and rest, although I don't think they would have let us use them in the hours we spent in the waiting room!) I did not expect that it would be freezing cold everywhere, including the bathroom, so coats and blankets go on the list. Of course, no food or water was provided to either one of us. Next time I want to pack a picnic basket--or at least have some snacks and bottled water. The time for regular meds passed by a couple of times for both of us, but I did throw those together before we left. Fortunately I had some cash in my purse, which isn't always the case.
Imagine trying to keep a sleepy, anxious and confused spouse settled down while you were very ill, and doing this all night and into the next morning. It's not like I could leave the emergency room to run down to the cafeteria or help DH find a bathroom.
This is one time I really, really, really wished for a husband who could have been sent back home if I found out we needed something. I wouldn't have had to worry if DH had all his many meds, because he could go home and get them. I wouldn't have had to worry about being admitted to the hospital for several days and having not even a toothbrush or clean underwear.
I recently started another topic with a list of things to take care of. On this current topic, though, all of us would have pretty different lists, depending on our own situation and the stage of the disease of our spouse. But any of us could be facing an emergency room trip for either our DH or ourselves, and having some basic necessities and small comforts could make the whole thing less difficult. And terrifying. And impossible.
For several years I've kept a backpack either in the trunk of my car or in the entryway closet in our house, for when my wife is taken to the ER. It contains
- Clothing: A long dress, warm socks, a pair of light shoes. - Toileting supplies: Adult diapers, latex gloves, wipes. - Comfort supplies: A cap to keep her head and ears warm, ear plugs, an eye mask, an inflatable pillow, hand lotion, lip balm.
At one time or another I've made use of all of these.
For the past year I have kept in the car my partner's bag with a complete change of clothes with incontinent supplies added more recently. And I always have the rest of her day's supply of meds in in my handbag, along with one or two atavan for in case she has a panic attack. The bag goes in and out of daycare in case she needs it there. The pills are always with me in case we eat out at noon or evening, get stuck some place or (now I'm adding another possibility) if we have to go to ER.
Also, I have a wheelchair in the back of my car as well as having one in the house. Should she have a seizure when we are out, we will not have to go to ER. I can bring her home in the wheelchair. Emergency Rooms are the pits if you get into one when you don't really need to be there. You just have to wait for them to spit you out the other end, and it can take a while. This happened to us once when we were at a movie and she was unable to walk for a while post seizure. On the other hand Emergency Rooms are blessings when you need them. And I have.
I learned from this site to also carry medical POAs with me at all times. I still have a manilla envelope marked "medical POA" in the back seat pocket of my car with all of the very necessary papers. POAs are too cumbersome to carry in your wallet unless they are on a flash drive, but there are situations where they literally "save the day."
I keep med lists on my phone because I usually have it with me and the list can easily be updated.
Some items you can just leave in the bag all the time, ready to go. For things that you can't, like maybe eyewear, the meds, hearing aids (things that you don't have duplicates of, or that would expire, or perhaps that require a cool-pack...it's different for everybody), I would use 3 x 5 cards, and keep them in the go-bag. Write on them what is supposed to be in the bag, so when you have to run out quickly, you can check against the 3 x 5 card that you've included everything you need.
I packed some really yummy snacks, too. Lots of them. We always ended up in the hospital after the kitchen was closed, and some familiar food made it an easier transition.