No matter how organized we are and how reliable our caregivers, everyone ends up needing help in a pinch sometimes: your nanny calls in sick, the babysitter got into an accident, or an emergency arises all of a sudden and you don't have a care provider scheduled.
So, how can we prepare ahead of time to make sure our bases are covered—expecting the unexpected, so to speak? Prepare for last-minute and emergency care needs now by following these 5 simple and proactive steps:
- #1: Clean up your Contacts.
Do some New Year's cleaning on your emergency contact list and make sure that everyone listed, both for yourself and your caregivers, is going to be available on the other end. Have they moved? Do they have a new cell phone or work number? Are you in touch regularly? In case you missed it, check out my blog post from last week on Creating Support Systems for more advice on developing a strong and foolproof emergency contact list.
- #2: Create a Favorites File.
Find and interview at least five (5) providers with last-minute availability to keep on file for an emergency situation, and check in with them regularly to make sure their on-call availability is still current. You can use a traditional paper file system, or you can save these Providers to your Favorites on Care.com and easily access them from anywhere right in your My Account section.
- #3: Remember The Golden Rule.
Offer to help out a friend, relative, or neighbor even if you're a bit busy so that they will be more likely to return the favor when you need it. As the saying goes, do for others as you hope they would do for you.
- #4: Plan C: Be Co-operative.
Join or create a community child, pet, or elder care co-op or swap. Even if you don't meet regularly, a simple list of willing "swappers" for emergency situations can get you out of a pinch as a backup plan.
- #5: Run through the motions.
Create a phone tree of relatives, neighbors, and providers and basic "protocol" for emergencies, and run through the motions as a drill (if only in your head!) from time to time. That way, you'll increase your chances of staying calm and won't panic when the time of need arises.
Do you have additional tips for finding and planning ahead for last-minute and emergency help? Please share them with the Care.com community by leaving a comment!
Cheers,
Sheila
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