If you suddenly cannot care: making an emergency backup plan

23 October 2026

Carers Mind Hub

Start with a short written plan naming who to contact and what the person you support would need if you suddenly could not be there. Carers UK recommends emergency planning for unpaid carers and the people they look after, and provides a tool called MyBackUp to help you begin.^[1]

You do not have to solve every possible situation before writing anything down. For a first version, imagine you are unexpectedly away overnight. What would somebody need to know before they could offer useful help? This is a practical planning guide, not medical advice or a guarantee of replacement care.

Put the essentials in one place

Carers UK’s guidance suggests recording the person’s contact details, emergency contacts, medication and where it is stored, allergies, GP and pharmacy, and existing care services.^[1] Use its guidance as your starting point rather than relying on memory while somebody is waiting on the phone.

Add a separate space for the everyday details you would want a trusted helper to ask about. Which room does the person prefer to sit in? How do they like to communicate? What should a visitor explain before coming inside? Keep the person’s own preferences at the centre of the conversation.

For medical information, record the current instructions supplied by their healthcare professionals. If anything is unclear, ask the relevant professional rather than trying to work it out in the emergency plan. The notes should describe the arrangements already in place, not create new instructions for somebody to follow without appropriate advice.

Agree who can actually step in

Talk about the plan with the person you care for, where possible, and with anyone you want to name as an emergency contact. Carers UK recommends both conversations.^[1] A name in a notebook is a starting point; ask the person what help they are willing and able to offer.

You could ask: “If I could not get home tonight, could you take the first phone call?” Another useful question is: “What could you help with, and what would need somebody else?” These are suggested conversation starters, not examples from real families.

Write down the answer in plain language. Keep collecting groceries separate from providing personal care or helping with medication. Ask who should be contacted if the first person is unavailable. Avoid leaving anybody with an undefined promise to “sort everything out”.

Ask what local backup exists

Carers UK says emergency carer-card schemes operate in some areas, often through a council, trust or local carers organisation. Check locally rather than assuming there is one where you live.^[5] Ask how to register, who holds the plan and what happens when somebody calls the number.

Questions worth taking to that conversation include whether the scheme only contacts your named helpers, whether it can arrange other support, and what happens overnight. Ask what it cannot provide as well. Record the answers you receive, including any limits, instead of putting an unconfirmed service into your plan.

If you cannot arrange alternative care, Carers UK advises contacting your local authority or healthcare provider.^[5] Local organisations and routes differ across the UK. Ask your local carers organisation which council or health and social care trust to contact, and request the out-of-hours details before you need them.

Make the plan easy to find

Carers UK recommends sharing the plan with trusted people or telling them where it is, and keeping it updated.^[1] Ask one named contact to check that they can actually find and open the version you intend them to use.

For your own check, imagine that your phone is unavailable. Where would the first contact find the next number? If you keep a paper copy, write its location in the arrangements you share. If you use a digital copy, agree how the named person can access it without depending on you to approve a request at the time.

Choose a manageable reminder to review the details. When something changes, replace the old version and tell the people holding copies. Keep sensitive information with the people who need it; you do not need to circulate the whole document to everyone offering practical help.

Finish a first version, then ask for help

Today, choose one contact and ask for a short conversation. Start the document with that person’s agreed role, the essential care information and the local number you still need to check. Leave unanswered questions clearly marked so nobody mistakes a blank for a confirmed arrangement.

For more information, visit the Carers Mind hub. If you need someone to listen, Samaritans is available free on 116 123, day or night.^[2] In England, for urgent mental health help, call NHS 111 and choose the mental health option.^[3] In an emergency, or if you cannot keep yourself or someone else safe, call 999 or go to A&E.^[3]