Elderly Parents and Hospitalization: Assemble an Emergency Tote

My elderly parents live a fair distance away and when they have a middle of the night or weekend emergency, we usually meet at a hospital in the next county. These emergency visits can be long and tiring, and sometimes will even stretch into days.

Waiting around the hospital with elderly parents is very physically and emotionally exhausting. In addition to the stress and worry, we children will spend a great deal of time walking all over the facility in search of coffee shops, lost relatives, bathrooms, vending machines, peppermints, reading material, and something to eat.

Adults with elderly parents should anticipate that trips to clinics and the hospital will happen more often as our parents age. To make the experience a little more tolerable and a whole lot less aggravating, bringing along a day pack or shoulder tote of must have items is essential. After my experience last week, I assembled a hospital survival tote which is now stashed in the trunk of my car for the next time I have to meet my elderly parents at the hospital. These are the sorts of items I found useful during my father's hospitalization, you may find these items helpful as well:

Tennis shoes

I walked nearly four miles the day Dad was hospitalized, in search of relatives, coffee pots, cafeterias, vending machines, post op rooms and other locations. My feet were killing me at the end of the day, which is why I now have a pair of comfy tennis shoes in my hospital survival tote.

Personal address book

The stress of a family emergency wipes the memory clean of phone numbers. I couldn't remember my sibling's cell phone numbers, the phone number of my kids nor their school, nor my husband's work number. Those numbers are all now recorded in a little pocket address book which is also included in the tote.

Snacks and mints

Hospital cafeterias have strange hours, and seem to close about the time that your elderly mother decides she'd like something to eat. Energy food such as granola bars, power bars, fruit cups, mints, and other munchies are a must have item.

Quarters and crisp dollar bills