Hopefully you will never have to deal with a crisis as a carer. But if you do end up facing an emergency, it can make a vital difference if you know what you should do and who you should contact. It could even save lives.
We discuss some of the most common crises that carers face below. We explain what to do and who you should contact if you are in one of these situations.
What to do if the person you care for becomes unwell
If the person you care for is taken ill, there are a range of different options open to you depending on what is wrong with them and how serious their condition is. We explain the different services available below.
You should call 999 if it is a medical emergency. This includes if someone’s life is at risk, they are seriously injured, suicidal or have seriously harmed themselves.
Further examples of medical emergencies include:
- When someone is experiencing chest pain.
- When someone has difficulty breathing.
- When someone has lost consciousness.
- When someone has severe bleeding that cannot be stopped.
- When you think someone might be having a heart attack or stroke. If this is the case, you should call 999 immediately as every second counts.
- When someone has experienced a major trauma such as being involved in a car crash or other traffic accident, being stabbed or shot, falling from a height or sustaining a serious head injury.
- When someone is an acute confused state.
- When someone is having fits that are not stopping.
- When someone experiences a severe allergic reaction.
- When someone is severely burnt or scalded.
You can call 999 anytime. The service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days of the year. The calls are free from any phone. You can even call 999 from a locked mobile phone or if the phone has no credit. You can still call 999 even if you are not with the person yourself, but you will need to be able to give their current location.
If you or the person you care for are deaf or hearing impaired, you can contact the emergency services by text instead. You need to sign up in advance for this service. Take a look at our guide ‘Caring for someone with hearing loss’ for further information about how to register.
When you call 999, they will ask you where you are, what number you are calling from and what has happened. They may dispatch an ambulance to take the person who is unwell to a hospital if they think it is appropriate, or they may suggest another option for care instead including giving you advice over the phone. If they do send an ambulance, do not hang up at that point as the ambulance team may have further questions for you. They may also want to give you instructions about how to administer first aid until they arrive.
While you are waiting for the ambulance to arrive, try to stay calm and not panic. If you are able to safely leave the person who is unwell, it can be helpful to gather up their medications as well as making a note of their GP’s details and any allergies they have. Be sure to call 999 again if the person’s condition changes or they move to a different location.
If you think that the person you care for is currently safe but still needs some urgent medical help or you are just not sure what to do next, then you can contact NHS 111. You can do that either by calling 111 or by using their online service at 111.nhs.uk. NHS 111 is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days of the year.
They will ask about the person’s symptoms and direct you to the right help for the problem. For instance, if they decide the person you care for needs to go to A&E, they can book a timeslot for them to attend, meaning they will have less time to wait when they get there. Or if they think they should instead be seen urgently by their GP, they can book this directly with their doctor’s surgery for you.
If you think your friend or relative needs to see their GP today, then you can book them an emergency GP appointment. If you are struggling to book one directly through their GP’s surgery, try using the NHS 111 service as they may be able to get one booked in on your behalf.
If the person you care for needs urgent help but it is not a life-threatening medical emergency, then you could take them to their nearest urgent care centre. These include walk-in centres and minor injury units. You can find the nearest one to you on the NHS website.
The sort of conditions that can be treated in one of these centres include:
- Minor head injuries.
- Suspected broken limbs, sprains and strains.
- Minor scalds and burns.
- Cuts, grazes, bruises, rashes, bites and stings.
- Coughs, colds and high temperatures.
- Stomach pain, vomiting and diarrhoea.
- Ear, throat and skin infections.
- Eye problems.
Urgent care centres tend to have longer opening hours than GP surgeries, often including evenings and weekends. They can therefore be useful if your friend or relative’s doctor’s surgery is closed but the problem cannot wait until they are next open.
You do not need to call ahead or book an appointment, although some do offer this option. You do not need to be registered locally. Anyone can walk in and they will be treated. The person who is unwell will usually be seen by a nurse, but some also offer access to doctors as well.
If the problem is not life-threatening and is related to someone’s teeth, then the process is a little different than for other illnesses. You should contact their normal dentist if they have one, in the first instance. They will either see you themselves or tell you where you can go for emergency dental work. There may be a cost for this treatment, even if it is done on the NHS. If they are not registered at a dentist, or you are not sure who their current dentist is, then contact NHS 111.
What to do if the person you care for is having a mental health crisis
If your friend or relative is having a mental health crisis, it can be a very stressful situation. Try to stay calm, however upsetting it may be for you. If you are composed even if they are upset or distressed, it can help to diffuse the situation for them.
We explain below some of the possible actions you can take, and the services that are available to help the person you care for.
If you think the person you care for’s life is at risk, that they are suicidal, or may be at risk of seriously harming themselves or others, then you need to contact the emergency services urgently. Call 999 and they may send an ambulance or the police or both. Tell them that your friend or relative has mental health problems.
If you think that they are safe for now but still need some urgent support, then contact NHS 111, their GP surgery for an emergency appointment or a local urgent mental health helpline. If you would like to contact the police but it is not an emergency, then you can call 101.
If you are worried about the person you care for’s mental health and think they would benefit from talking to someone, you could suggest they call the Samaritans on 116 123. The Samaritans are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and their service is free. They specialise in listening to anyone who is in distress without making any judgments or telling someone what to do. You could even ask the Samaritans to arrange for one of their trained volunteers to call your friend or relative directly if you pass on their phone number. Or if the person you care for would prefer to write down how they are feeling rather than talking to someone on the phone, they could send the Samaritans an email instead by contacting jo@samaritans.org or write them a letter to Freepost SAMARITANS LETTERS.
Alternatively, you could suggest they text SHOUT to 85258 to access a free, confidential anonymous text support service for people experiencing a crisis who are unable to cope and need some support.
If your friend or relative is aged 35 or under, they could contact Papyrus, a charity dedicated to the prevention of suicide in young people. They support the young person directly, but also their friends and family. Just call 0800 068 41 41, text 07860 039 967 or email pat@papyrus-uk.org. Alternatively, if they are aged 25 or under, then they could contact The Mix. This is a charity that runs a crisis text service which is open 24 hours a day, and a telephone helpline which is open between 3pm and midnight daily. Just call 0808 808 4994 or text THEMIX to 85258.
If the person you care for is aged over 55, they may want to get in touch with The Silver Line instead. This is a free, confidential helpline for older people, open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. They can be contacted on 0800 4 70 80 90.
If the person you are worried about is a man, they may prefer to contact CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably), a service aimed specifically at men. They have a webchat service and a phone helpline, and they are open between 5pm and midnight every day. Their number is 0800 58 58 58.
What to do if the person you care for goes missing
If you find that the person you care for has gone missing, it is important not to panic but you should still try to act quickly. There are lots of things you can do to help try and find them.
If the person who is missing is vulnerable, cannot look after themselves, is a child or you think they might be in immediate danger, then call 999 straight away.
If the person who is missing is an adult, not vulnerable and not in immediate danger, then the best place to start is to try and find them yourself. You should contact anyone who you think might know where they are. This could include their other family, friends, neighbours or professionals who work with them such as their carers or their medical team. Check their home and other places you think they might have gone, and keep a note of where you have looked and when so you can let the police know. Have a look to see if you can find any notes, messages or emails they might have left to tell you where they were going. Send them a message telling them that you are worried and asking them to get in touch with you.
If you are still concerned, then you should contact the police. You do not have to wait until they have been missing for 24 hours. You can do this by calling 101, reporting them missing online or contacting your local police force directly. You can find their contact details here. Even if you do not think your friend or relative is in danger, it is not wasting police time to report them missing. It is their job to protect people.
If you have previously completed a Herbert Protocol Form then it can be a significant help to the police in this situation. To find out more about this initiative, take a look at our guide ‘Planning for emergencies as a carer’.
If you would like additional support, you can contact the charity Missing People. They can launch an appeal for you, if the police have an open investigation. They can also give you further information, support you while you wait, connect you with other people who understand what you are going through or just listen to you when you need someone to talk to about the situation. Just call or text them on 116 000 between 9am and 11pm.
Online Help and Advice
Visit our online support section where we have provided advice and guidance on a range of relevant topics to help you in your caring role.