Why a personal emergency plan makes a real difference

Floods, storms, prolonged power cuts, heatwaves, even a gas leak at the end of the street — emergencies rarely give much warning. For people with mobility needs, the gap between an inconvenient few hours and a genuinely risky situation often comes down to preparation. A personal emergency plan is simply a short written record of what you need, who can help, and how you would get out. It takes an afternoon to put together, and it works whether you live alone, with family, or with support workers coming and going.

The aim is not to frighten yourself. It is to make sure that on a bad day, you are not having to think everything through from scratch.

Record your medication and equipment needs

Start with the information someone would need to look after you properly if you could not speak for yourself. Keep it on one or two sheets, printed in large, clear type.

• A full list of your medications, including dose, times, and what each one is for
• Allergies, long-term conditions, and anything a paramedic should know quickly
• Your equipment: wheelchair, walking frame, hoist, oxygen concentrator, catheter, feeding pump — with model details and whether it needs mains power
• Phone numbers for your GP surgery, district nurse, pharmacy, and equipment repair service
• The name and number of the person who knows you best

Keep one copy in a waterproof wallet inside your grab bag, and photograph it on your phone. Ask your pharmacy in advance what they would do about an emergency supply of medication, and how much notice they would need.

Plan both ways out — and a way to stay put

Evacuation is only half the picture. Sometimes the safest option is to remain at home, so plan for both.

• Identify two routes out of your main rooms, and check they stay clear of clutter, cables, and furniture
• Note the practical details: door widths, steps, dropped kerbs, and the shortest step-free route to the pavement
• If you use a powered wheelchair or scooter, charge it overnight so it never sits below half power
• If you live in a flat, speak to your landlord or housing provider about the building's evacuation arrangements, and tell your local fire and rescue service if you would need assistance to get out
• For staying put, choose a room that is easy to heat, ideally on the ground floor, with a phone, water, and a torch within reach of your chair or bed

Choose a trusted contact — and a backup

This is the heart of the plan. Pick someone who lives close enough to reach you quickly, and agree in advance exactly what they would do: call at an agreed time, bring you to their home, collect a prescription, or simply check that your heating is still on.

Give them a copy of your medication list, tell them where your grab bag lives, and make sure they know how to get in — a spare key, a key safe code, or a neighbour who holds one. Add ICE (in case of emergency) before their name in your phone contacts, and name a second person in case the first is away.

It is also worth registering for the Priority Services Register run by energy and water suppliers. It is free, and it gives you advance notice of planned outages, priority support during unplanned ones, and sometimes help with carrying supplies. If you have a care agency, ask what their emergency plan is and how they would contact you if staff could not reach you.

Build a grab bag you can actually reach

A grab bag is only useful if it is somewhere you can get to from your chair, your scooter, or your bed — not at the back of a loft.

• Seven days of medication in original packaging, plus a repeat prescription slip
• Spare glasses, hearing aid batteries, continence supplies, and a small first aid kit
• A charged power bank and phone charging cable
• Bottled water, easy snacks, a torch, and a whistle to call for help
• Copies of your ID, insurance details, medication list, and contact numbers

If you cannot carry it yourself, that is completely fine. Its purpose is to be handed to whoever comes to help you.

Review it twice a year

Set a reminder for a date you will remember — a birthday, or the start of spring and autumn. Medication changes, new equipment, a neighbour moving away, or a change in your care all need to be reflected in the plan. Once a year, do a gentle rehearsal: could you reach your front door in the dark, and could your trusted contact find your bag without asking?

Tell someone your plan exists. A friend, a family member, a carer, or your GP surgery can all hold a copy or a note of it. Nobody can stop a storm or a power cut, but a written plan turns a frightening situation into a manageable one — and gives the people around you the information they need to help you well.