Next of Kin and Emergency Details Card

What this sheet is for

Put one person's emergency contacts and practical details on a single page, in the order somebody should actually work through them.

Who it is for

Households, carers, employers, clubs, care arrangements, and anyone living alone.

How to use it

1. One card per person, not one per household.
2. Number the contacts in the order they should be tried.
3. Say who has authority to make decisions, and whether that is recorded formally.
4. Keep it where somebody would look, and think about who else can read it.
5. Date it, and check it whenever a number changes.

What is on the sheet

The layout is fixed at a size that fits both A4 and US Letter, so the A4 and Letter files are visually identical and print at full size on either. Rows are set at a height that an adult can actually write a date and a few words into with a pen — most printable tables are built in a word processor and never tested with one.

Questions

Should medical information go on it?

Only what you choose to write. The sheet gives no medical guidance and prints no prompts for conditions or medicines, because anybody acting in an emergency should be speaking to your doctor or the emergency services rather than reading a printable. Some people write a line about allergies; that is your call.

Is 'next of kin' a legal position?

In many countries it carries less authority than people assume, and who may actually make decisions for you is a separate, formal matter. If that matters in your situation, take proper advice — and record on the sheet where any formal document is kept.