It is important to be prepared in the event of a medical emergency By Camille Daugherty Nearly one third of people 50 to 64 years of age have one or more medical conditions that not only place them at risk, but will land them in the emergency room. A large percentage of them will be unprepared to deal with this crisis and will be overwhelmed and frustrated with the tangled web that ensues a hospital stay and beyond. Just as you have a fire escape plan for your home, you need to have a crisis intervention plan for your health. To help prepare for your time of need, here are some things to consider before a health crisis occurs: + Have a personal list of all of your health conditions, prescribed drugs, nonprescription drugs, vitamins and drug allergies readily available. Instruct your family member or emergency health-care provider to bring it with you to the hospital. + Be your own advocate. Speak up. Question anything you don't understand or doesn't seem right. + Learn if your medications should be taken with or without food. If with food, refuse to take medication on an empty stomach. Insist that medication administration is appropriately scheduled with your meals. + Research your doctors. Ask for references from inside sources such as a nurse who is a friend of the family. Medical professionals are more candid with other medical professionals. Remember that a good bedside manner doesn't necessarily mean a doctor is a good doctor. + Keep a dated log of your visits to your doctor, procedures and laboratory tests. Lab results can fall through the cracks. Don't assume the results are OK if you don't get them when expected. Be aware of all results and trends in your lab results. Make sure you understand what the values mean and take notes after speaking with your doctor. + Ask if your health professional is an attending (a doctor on staff at the medical facility, a resident (doctor in training), or physician's assistant. If you are having surgery, ask if the attending or the resident will be performing the surgery. Read your consent form carefully and make sure your wishes are represented. That is a choice you are entitled to. + Have an Advance Directive or Living Will and Health Care Proxy prepared and keep it with your personal list of health conditions. "In Accordance with New Jersey and Federal Legislation, a competent patient has the right to consent to or refuse care and the right to formulate advance directives, which become effective it the patient should become incompetent." A Living Will enables you to participate in decision making about your care in the event you are no longer competent, while a Health Care Proxy enables a trusted person to legally make decisions for you in the same circumstance. It is not necessary to get a lawyer. Forms can be retrieved from the Internet or obtained from a hospital, and are legally binding. + Have a friend or relative with you to make sure you understand what your diagnosis means, what test or surgery will be performed, what medications are being prescribed and why, and any restrictions to diet and exercise. Take notes. + If the hospital staff is repeatedly unresponsive to your needs, speak to the administrator on duty (AOD) and ask that your issues be resolved. + Make sure you understand instructions for your home and follow-up care. A hospital case manager can help you to understand what services home-care providers can provide to assist you in your transition back to your home. While your chances of ever having to use your fire safety plan are low, the chances of experiencing a health-care crisis at some point in your life are high. Having a suitable plan of action will make a difficult time a little bit easier. We can't control what happens to us, but we can determine whether the current situation will be the best or worst of times. Camille Daugherty is vice president of care management at HomeWell Senior Care, a live-in, companion, and personal care provider. For more information, call (732) 359-6279, or email her at HomeWellCares@aol.com, or visit www.CentralNJ.HomeWellCares.com.