Do you have an emergency contact?
By JenInTN
@JenInTN (27514)
United States
May 20, 2009 8:44pm CST
Yesturday my company wanted us all to update our employee information. Well..I filled out the form and turned it in for it to only be returned to me. They said I had forgotten to put down an emergency contact. I just stood there for a minute and said.."I don't have anyone to put down" No family that can make choices.. anyone legal for that matter. I have a b/f that I could put down but he couldn't make choices where my kids are concerned..at least not legally. Hmmm. Do you have an emergency contact? Are they family or friends?
6 people like this
28 responses
@3SnuggleBunnies (16374)
• United States
21 May 09
Unfortunatly we have to have emergency contacts for those flukes that there is an emergency. Mine are usually hubby, then in-laws, my aunt & then my friend. The kids are in that order as well. Though I've been reconsidering my in-laws for the kids as they are not in good health and I would worry that they'd be able to care for my kids til I could get there.
2 people like this
@ANTIQUELADY (36440)
• United States
21 May 09
HI JEN, OF COURSE MY CHILDREN ARE GROWN SO THEY COULD MAKE DECISIONS about me. i'm not telling u your buisness but u need to get someone set up to make decisions about your children etc. it needs to be done legally. u never know when something could happen & it can happen in a new york minute. TAKE CARE. JO
@ANTIQUELADY (36440)
• United States
31 May 09
thanks for my best response, jen. i hope you have made a decisionn over this, i have worried about it for you.
@JenInTN (27514)
• United States
31 May 09
I'm still thinking on this one jo. My company offers free counseling on finances and livinf wills and such. Think I will make an appointment and see what my options are. I would like for my children to be in charge but the girls just aren't old enough yet.
1 person likes this
@mimpi1911 (25464)
• India
21 May 09
This is an interesting discussion and came inn timely when I faced something similar to this. Only recently I was being asked by an insurance company to provide an emergency contact number. I had to think because my parents, who are the only reliable contacts I have, are not I town. I tried to explain to them but they were justified in their reasons.
1 person likes this
@se7enthbird (8307)
• Philippines
21 May 09
yes i do. i put our house phone number, my wifes cellular or mobile number and our house phone at my mom's house. so in case of emergency there are 3 numbers that they can call. so nothing to worry but of course i would rather not use any number for emergencies. i would love to go home safe and sound.
@kellyjeanne (1576)
• United States
24 May 09
For the most part I'm in the same situation you're in. I have no family or anyone close enough to me to make important legal decisios. Lately I've been putting the name of either my therapist or my peer support person who comes once a week for a visit. Maybe you can do the same thing if you have a therapist and trust her enough.
Purrs,
Catwoman=^..^= & Mij
1 person likes this
@kellyjeanne (1576)
• United States
3 Jun 09
She's the best therapist that I've ever had and I've been going from therapist to therapist most of my adult life. I feel so lucky to have found someone like her. Yea, if you are thinking of going to a therapist go for it. What you want to do is make appointments with about 3 or 4 before you decide on the one you want. It's important to find someone you feel comfortable with. Ask them questions such as:
How long have you been practicing?
What kind of license do you have?
What is your personal philosophy regarding someone in my position?
What is your professional position regarding someone in my position?
What plan of action or treatment do you feel works best for you and your clients?
These are just sample questions to ask. Many people don't understand that it's just as important to ask them questions because you are the one going to them every week opening yourself up to them.
Let me know what you're planning on doing and if you do find a good therapist.
Purrs,
Catwoman=^..^= & Mija
@idowrite72 (2213)
• United States
21 May 09
I do have an emergency contact, who is my second daughter. She seems to be more level headed than my oldest daughter most of the time and confidentially, I would trust her more to make decisions for me! I have several health concerns, so it is important for me to have an emergency contact.
1 person likes this
@smileonstar (4007)
• United States
21 May 09
most likely I would put down my husband for emergency contact. If not then I will put down my best friend.
@ProudMommy22 (705)
• United States
21 May 09
I dont have emergency contact numbers in my purse jsut in case something happens...And for the response to in the us 911 lol everyone in US knows thats an emergency number to call IF you can call...But if something happend and you couldnt get to a phone and or you couldnt call for whatever reason then the police or EMS would be able to know who to call by looking in your purse which they have done here before and do here when its something really bad and have no information on the person in question.
@paula27661 (15811)
• Australia
21 May 09
Your discussion has me thinking...It's been a long time since I have updated any form of emergency contacts and aside from my husband my parents are the ones I have always listed but now that my sister is older and more sensible I may change the details to hers; she is likely to be more in touch with what I would want and need in case of an emergency.
1 person likes this
@Anora_Eldorath (6028)
• United States
21 May 09
Jen-
Because extended family is too far away to be in any real use during an emergency, it's my husband. On both our cell phones we have ICE in front of each other's name so that people know that is our "In Case of Emergency" contact. It was a tip they put on our news station not too long ago. You can have your boyfriend make emergency decisions if you had a living will that allowed him to do, if you trusted him that is. You can specify all sorts of things in your living will, especially during the case of an emergency where you may be unresponsive. I still need to do a living will myself.
Namaste-Anora
1 person likes this
@anniefannie (1737)
• United States
22 May 09
my emergency contact would be my daugher.before she got old enough i had one of sisters names down..you need to have a paper of some kind for your boy friend so he would know what you would want done for your kids in causse something happened to you.
@suspenseful (40193)
• Canada
21 May 09
We have our younger son as emergency contact, because he and I have the same cell phone provider and he has his cell phone on all the time. So if anything happens to us, they will have to call him. I also have a couple of friends nearby who will help us if we need anything. So we do not have to worry about anything if something goes wrong.
@sunil_008 (1269)
• India
21 May 09
hi,my only emergency contact number is my cell number other than that i don't have any other emergency contact number...but i think there should be a public contact number.which can be used in emergency for just anyone...
@jayrene (2708)
• Philippines
21 May 09
yes i do have family contact... in my cellphone they are numbered 1 is my husband and beside his name is the letter "ICE" (In Case of Emergency), this ICE, i received in a forwarded email that this is the first thing that paramedics look in your cellphone, and calls that number right away. so i have that in my husbands name... then next is my daughter (she's 13 but i know i can trust her, if something goes wrong she can call my mom or my in-law). then next to her is my mom, she lives far from us, but just in case...
in my husband's cellphone, of course im the ICE there, then to me is his father's number.
it's really important to have emergency numbers. other people ignore it in forms and ID's... but you'll never know when accidents happens, i've seen a lot of it in the news where someone gets in an accident and then the ID dont have an emergency contact, the police officer, just shows the id on tv, so people that knows the person (relative, neighbor, or friends) will know what happen.
