Emergency Contact List: Who to Include (and Why) - GoodRx (2024)

Nobody wants to think about something bad happening to them or their loved ones. But anyone can have an unexpected emergency, no matter their age or how healthy they are.

The upside is, you can have a plan in place should such a situation arise. And one of the first and most important steps you can take is making an emergency contact list. Here’s what you — and your emergency contacts — need to know.

Who should you put on your emergency contact list?

Choose people you trust for your emergency contact list. Consider who may be willing and able to answer questions about you and make decisions if needed. Your primary emergency contact might be any number of people in your life, such as:

• A partner or spouse

• A family member

• A friend

• A neighbor

In addition to choosing people you trust, here are three questions to think about when selecting your emergency contacts:

1. Should I have more than one emergency contact?

While it’s not necessary, it can be helpful to have multiple emergency contacts in case your primary contact can’t be reached. If you choose more than one emergency contact, make it clear which one should be contacted first. Hospitals or other emergency care services will start by contacting the person at the top of your list.

Share your list with the people you have chosen as your emergency contacts. Likewise, share the list with anybody you live with who is not one of your emergency contacts. This will help keep them in the loop should something happen to you.

2. Do your emergency contacts live nearby?

In certain situations, you may want your emergency contact to be able to get to the hospital or wherever else you are. In this case, having someone who lives locally is helpful. But it’s not necessary to have a local emergency contact. In many cases, a contact who lives far away can be notified over the phone and may not need to travel anywhere.

That said, it may be worth having at least one person on your list who can get to you quickly, just in case. A local contact can also help with other tasks in an emergency, such as caring for your pets or picking up your children.

3. Can at least one emergency contact make decisions on your behalf?

Sit down with the people on your emergency contact list and let them know what decisions you would like made in certain situations. Consider if you want your emergency contact or someone else to make hard decisions on your behalf if needed. To make it easier for them, you can prepare certain documents outlining your wishes for your healthcare (more on this below).

Also, make sure your emergency contact can keep other people informed about your condition. Give them a list of people to contact, like your family, friends, or employer. Similarly, if there are people who should not receive healthcare information about you, let your emergency contact know.

What should your emergency contacts know?

Ideally, your emergency contact should know your essential health information and where to find your legal documents. This information includes:

• Your medical history, including current medical conditions, medications, and previous surgeries or hospitalizations

• Your regular healthcare providers’ names and contact information

• Your organ donor status

• Your blood type, if known

• Any allergies you might have

• Who should care for your dependents or pets if you are unable to do so

• If you have an advance healthcare directive

• Whether you have a will and where it is located

It’s best to keep both digital and hard copies of this information and to keep them organized and together in one place. If you have more than one emergency contact, decide if each of them should have this information.

Consider sharing an online document containing instructions for where to find your health and legal documents. That way, there is a record of where the information is in case you or your emergency contacts forget.

Documents to share with your emergency contacts

There are several documents it may be helpful to create in case of emergency. You might also share them with your emergency contacts.

For health emergencies, an advance healthcare directive makes your wishes for your health clear to your emergency contacts and healthcare providers. Keep in mind, advance healthcare planning forms and the steps to make them legally official vary by state. It’s best to contact your state’s department of health for information on how to set one up.

Typically, an advanced healthcare directive includes the following items.

A living will

This document lets healthcare providers know your treatment preferences in case you’re unable to make decisions for yourself (for instance, if you’re in a coma). A living will is different from a will, which provides instructions on what to do after your death.

If you don’t have any health conditions and want to prepare a living will, talk with your healthcare provider. They can help you get started by going over your family history to understand your risks for developing various health problems and discuss what treatments you might want to address in a living will.

Durable power of attorney

This gives legal power to someone else — like an emergency contact — to make decisions on your behalf if you are unable to. With a durable power of attorney, the person you designate has the final say about your care.

Depending on where you live, the process of giving someone power of attorney for your healthcare decisions may vary. The American Bar Association has put together a guide and simple form that is accepted by most states. You may also want to double check with your state’s health department on what the process is.

Other advance healthcare directives

Advance healthcare directives may also include additional documents like:

• DNR/DNI (do not resuscitate/do not intubate) orders. These types of documents instruct healthcare providers and first responders not to perform certain procedures.

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• Brain donation. The process for brain donation is separate from signing up to become an organ donor.

• Orders for life-sustaining treatment. Knowing your wishes can help healthcare providers act immediately

A will

In addition to an advance directive, you may want to make sure you have a will that outlines your wishes in case you die, such as funeral preferences and how to handle your assets. To learn how to write and validate your will, talk with a legal professional or check your state’s policies on writing and validating wills.

How to set up an emergency contact list on an iPhone or Android

If you have a smartphone, it likely has features that allow you to set emergency contacts. Here’s how to set up emergency contacts on an iPhone or Android.

iPhone

To add emergency contacts to your iPhone, go to your phone’s Health app. From there:

1. Tap on your initials or profile picture on the top right-hand corner of your screen.

2. Go to Medical ID.

3. Click on Get Started. If you’ve already set up emergency contacts and want to change them, you can click on “edit.”

4. Scroll to Emergency Contacts and click on the Add button to select the people you would like to add as your emergency contacts. If there are multiple phone numbers linked to a contact, choose the best one to get hold of them.

5. Press Done to save your changes. You’ll then be taken to Review Medical ID. Check that you’ve entered your information correctly and press Next.

6. On the next screen, you can choose whether or not you want to share your medical information with the person who picks up your emergency call.

7. The last step is deciding whether you want your Medical ID to show up when your phone is locked. If you do, make sure Show When Locked appears green.

8. Press Done to save your changes.

Android

If you have an Android phone, the steps to add your medical information and emergency contacts depend on what version you have. For Android 12 and up:

1. Open the Safety app.

2. Sign in with your Google account details.

3. Click on Settings (the gear icon).

4. Tap Emergency Contacts and select Add Contact.

5. To have your emergency information show up when your phone is locked, click on the section labeled “show when device is locked” and then tap Show When Locked.

Depending on where you are located, you may be able to use other safety features, like location sharing with your emergency contacts.

If your Android is on a version earlier than 12, you can still add emergency contact information by signing into your Google account.

Other mobile phones

Other phones may be a bit different. Do an online search to find out how to add emergency contacts and other medical information into your phone. Even a simple notes app can help you maintain a digital list of emergency contacts.