Your CartMany years ago, I was employed as an RN in a large medical practice. Part of my job was to bring patients back to an examination room, fill out a medical history and medication form. This was prior to the online systems we have today where you input your medical history and insurance information yourself prior to your appointment.
The vast majority of time, people could not tell me the names of their medications or why they were taking them. Often, the answers would be, “I take a little white pill for my heart and a blue pill for my stomach.” It was not unusual for my patients to not know or understand any significant medical history of their family members. Family history of cancer, cardiac and vascular disease, auto-immune, pulmonary or other hereditary conditions were often unknown.
Even more importantly, when a patient was not physically or mentally able to answer questions, the spouse, adult child, or significant other rarely knew the answers to these very important medical questions.
In the Medical Information section of When The Time Comes, the guessing game goes away by completing the information listed. This particular section of the organizer should be completed in pencil since the information will likely change over time. Medications, medical conditions, family history, doctors, etc. will change throughout our lives and will need to be updated.
The information contained in this section could prove to be critical in providing the optimal care for yourself and/or significant other should a medical situation arise.
If you are a person who lives alone, I encourage you to make a copy of this medical information and place it in a location easily accessible to emergency medical personnel who may need to enter your home to provide medical care. Often, this could be kept with your medications, on a refrigerator door, in a folder on the kitchen counter (clearly marked “emergency information”). In some communities around the country, this information is kept in a container (often a large pill bottle from the pharmacy) marked “vial of life” and is kept on top of the refrigerator or a visibly accessible area that is easy to spot for emergency personnel. You might also consider placing the same type of container in your vehicle alongside your registration in the event you are in a motor vehicle accident. You may also keep a record of your medications and allergies in your smart phone. This can be very helpful when keeping track of your parents, spouse, or children's medications.
At minimum, write out your medications and allergies and give a copy to your spouse, adult children, or representative so they have the information. List who your emergency contact is and a telephone number where they may be reached. Make sure they have a copy of your medical information each time you update the information. This is very important when you do not live in the same area as your emergency contact.
This could be one of the most important documents in the organizer. Take the time today to complete the information and share the information with your loved ones or representative