Two weeks ago, a good friend and colleague was rushed to the hospital in an ambulance with heart attack symptoms. Jimmy arrived without his cell phone.  He spent nearly 3 hours in the emergency room by himself, because he didn’t know anyone’s phone number. Like all of us these days, he relied on his cell phone to remember the numbers. He only could recall his work number and his brother’s landline. No one was at either location. Jimmy was sent home in a cab and a friend found him wandering around confused and nauseous.  When his friends and family were finally contacted, Jimmy returned to the hospital. Sadly, he died there.  I don’t know if having a family or friend with him at the emergency room would have changed the outcome, but he would have had an advocate to say, “He’s confused. This isn’t the way he normally acts.” We all need advocates with us at the hospital. And as caregivers, there are many times we find ourselves in situations where we may have forgotten to charge our phones, or left them at home and we need to make a call for help and don’t know any numbers. Since Jimmy died, many of us have vowed to memorize 5 phone numbers, so if we find ourselves at the emergency room, or anywhere where we need help, we can call someone we know.  Take a moment right now, and do this.  It could save your life.

—Jahnna