Ready Together: Emergency Planning for Dependent Adults and Caregivers
A Family Preparedness Plan (also called an emergency plan) can help you and your caregivers be ready in case of a family separation or other emergency. Your plan should include important information and documents about you and your health, educational, Regional Center, financial, and other personal and care needs. Your plan can also list new supporters or caregivers, if needed.
How to Make a Family Preparedness Plan
1. Contact Your Regional Center
• Ask your regional center for a Zoom (internet) or in-person meeting to update your IPP’s emergency information.
• Think about these questions:
▪ What does my IPP say about my emergency plan?
▪ Who should I list as my emergency contacts?
▪ What do my emergency contacts and supporters need to know about me if there is an emergency?
2. Find Important Documents, like your
• ID cards and passports
• Birth certificates and marriage certificate
• Records of your Social Security and other benefits
• Regional Center IPPs
• School records
• Green card, visa, or other immigration papers
Tips:
Keep all your important papers in a binder or a folder on your computer.
Tell your loved ones and/or lawyer where to find and access them or give them a copy.
Check and update your papers and your emergency plan regularly, especially when there are big changes in your life.
3. Update or Make Decision-Making Tools, like:
A Supported Decision Making Agreement is a form you fill out to name someone you trust to act as your supporter, help you make decisions, and get information and/or services. Unlike the other forms listed below, your supporter cannot use this form to make a decision for you. TIP: You must sign it in front of 2 witnesses or a notary, then the Agreement starts right away.
Financial Power of Attorney is a power of attorney form just for finances and property. You can use it to appoint 1 or 2 people you trust to handle some or all your financial matters. You decide which ones. For example, all bank accounts or just some, or bill-paying, but not taxes. You can also say how long the person will have control, and when their control would start.
TIP: You must sign this form in front of a notary.
Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care (Advance Healthcare Directive). This form is a power of attorney just for health care. It lets you choose someone you trust to make healthcare decisions for you. It also lets that person access your private health information. You decide when it starts. TIP: You must sign it in front of 2 witnesses or a notary.
Education Authorization. This form lets you say who you want to help you at your Individual Educational Planning (IEP) meetings and other school arrangements. You do NOT need witnesses or a notary, just your signature.
Note: The law says you have the right to have one or more adults support you in certain meetings – even if that person is not listed on any of your legal documents.
4. Ask Your Caregiver to Help Prepare
If there is an emergency, you may need a new caregiver. Be prepared. Ask your current caregiver to complete a Letter of Intent. This is NOT legal document but an informal tool for your caregiver to list key information about your health, educational, Regional Center, financial, and other personal and care needs. It can help a new caregiver take over.
Note: If your caregiver is also your conservator, they should attach your Letters of Conservatorship to the Letter of Intent.
This is legal information, not legal advice.
