What documents should I gather urgently for the hospital?

Health insurance card and supplemental insurance card, ID, list of current medications or recent prescriptions, treating physician's contact details, and if they exist, the trusted companion designation and advance directives.

Who has the right to accompany a relative hospitalized in an emergency?

The trusted companion, if designated in writing, has a legally recognized right to accompany you to consultations and to be informed. A relative who has not been designated may be present depending on the facility's rules, but does not have this guaranteed right.

What if my relative can no longer express themselves upon arrival at the hospital?

The medical team will check whether a trusted companion has been designated and, if not, will turn to family or relatives. This is why it is recommended to designate your trusted companion in advance, before an emergency occurs.

Practical guide · Emergency

Emergency hospitalization of an elderly relative: what to do?

A fall, a sudden illness, an unplanned hospitalization: in the heat of the moment, it's hard to think clearly. Here, in order, is what to do — and what's useful to know even before an emergency happens.

Situation in progress? In France, call 15 (SAMU) for a life-threatening emergency, or 114 by text for people who are deaf or hard of hearing. This guide covers organizing around the hospitalization, not the medical emergency itself.

1First reflexes

Once emergency services have been called (or your relative is already being cared for), the priority becomes finding out where they are being taken. The emergency responders will usually tell you the destination facility. Note the name of the hospital and, if possible, the department.

Take a few minutes to breathe before leaving: arriving calm helps you communicate better with the care team and not forget anything.

2Documents to gather quickly

If you stop by your relative's home before joining them, bring along:

Their health insurance card and supplemental insurance card
A form of ID
The list of current medications or recent prescriptions
Their treating physician's contact details
If it exists, the written trusted companion designation and advance directives

Plan ahead: on the day itself, no one thinks to look for these documents. It's best to prepare a folder in advance, kept somewhere everyone knows about — this is exactly what I recommend to everyone I support.

3Who to notify

Generally in this order: the trusted companion if one has been designated (this is precisely their role), close relatives (spouse, children), and the treating physician, who may have useful information to pass on to the hospital team. Avoid a flurry of separate calls — having one point person centralize the information and pass it on is more effective.

4At the hospital: your rights

Many people don't realize this: if your relative has designated a trusted companion, that person has a legal right to accompany them to consultations and to be informed — it is not simply something the facility may or may not allow. Without this designation, the presence of relatives depends more on the department's internal rules.

If your relative is no longer able to express themselves, the medical team will try to find out whether they designated a trusted companion. That person will be consulted first to convey their wishes.

5In the days that follow

Once the situation has stabilized, follow-up questions arise: expected length of hospitalization, arranging the return home or a transfer to a care facility, related administrative steps (a caregiver's leave from work, an insurance file, etc.). This is often when the mental load becomes heaviest for those around the person.

Emergency hospitalization of an elderly relative: what to do?

1First reflexes

2Documents to gather quickly

3Who to notify

4At the hospital: your rights

5In the days that follow

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