Helpful Ideas for Anyone Helping an Aging Parent

Maintain a care notebook. Keep a file of your parents’ medical records, including test results, current medications, allergies, insurance coverage and Social Security numbers, along with their physicians’ contact information. Collect e-mail addresses and phone numbers for neighbors and close friends, as well as the phone number for the nearest hospital.

Develop a relationship with your parents’ doctors. Doctors appreciate the input when adult daughters or sons accompany their parents to office visits, especially when they arrive with current medication lists and knowledge of medical issues. If possible, schedule your parents’ appointments while you’re visiting. To avoid future frustration, ask your parents to sign privacy releases giving their doctors authorization to speak with you by phone regarding their care.

Set up an alert system. If your parent lives alone, talk with him or her about an electronic alert system for emergencies. These systems, typically light-weight devices worn around the neck or wrist, require only a push of a button to generate an automatic call to summon emergency help. You might also want to arrange a daily check-in call or e-mail message.

Who Will Know If You're In An Accident?

Maryland drivers can now add three emergency contacts to their driver’s license so police will know who to call if an accident occurs. The emergency contact information is stored electronically on an individual’s driver’s license and will be available only to authorized law enforcement and medical personnel.

You can go to the MVA’s website at http://www.mva.maryland.gov/ and add your three emergency contacts in just a few minutes! Go to the website, click “Online Services” and choose “Emergency Contacts” to add your contact names, addresses and phone numbers.

Note: To perform this Emergency Contact transaction, you must be able to provide your driver’s license number, date of birth, and PIN or last 4 digits of your social security number.

 

The information you provide to the MVA will be available to law enforcement agencies and medical personnel.

Don't forget to periodically review and update your contact information.