embraceMake an emergency health card for someone you care for
Fill in the card below and print it. You get a wallet card to cut out and fold, and a full-page copy for the fridge. You do not need an account. What you type is never saved or sent anywhere, and it is gone when you close the page.
From the Embrace team. Updated October 29, 2026.
The short answer: Write the person's name, date of birth, allergies, main health conditions, current medicines, two emergency contacts and their doctor on one small card. Keep it in their wallet behind their health card, and keep a full-page copy on the fridge for paramedics.
Why a card helps in an emergency
In an emergency, the person who needs care may not be able to answer questions, and the family member who knows the answers may not be there. A card in the wallet answers the first questions emergency staff ask: who this is, what they are allergic to, what conditions they live with, what they take, and who to call.
A medicine list is one of the most useful things to carry. ISMP Canada and its partners suggest keeping an up-to-date list of every medicine and sharing it at each visit, and the same list helps in an emergency room.
How to fill it in
- Put allergies first and be specific, for example the name of the medicine and the reaction it caused.
- List conditions in plain words, the way the person or their doctor describes them.
- Copy each medicine's name and strength from the pharmacy label. If the list is long, write the most important ones and add "full list on the fridge".
- Choose emergency contacts who answer their phone, and write the relationship as well as the number.
- Write the date. A card without a date leaves the reader guessing how current it is.
Where to keep it
Keep the wallet card behind the health or insurance card. Put the full-page copy on the fridge or inside the front door, where paramedics often look in a home. Give a copy to anyone who looks after the person regularly, such as a sitter, a school or a home care worker.
Nothing you type is saved or sent anywhere. It disappears when you close the page, so print the card before you leave, and fill it in again when something changes.
Common questions
What should go on an emergency health card?
The person's name and date of birth, allergies and past reactions to medicines, main health conditions, current medicines, any implanted device such as a pacemaker, two emergency contacts, and their family doctor and pharmacy.
Where should the card be kept?
In the wallet next to the health or insurance card, because that is where emergency staff look first. Keep a full-page copy on the fridge or inside the front door for paramedics who come to the home.
How often should I update it?
Every time a medicine, a doctor or an emergency contact changes, and at least once a year. Write the date on the card so anyone reading it knows how current it is.
Should children have one too?
Yes, especially a child with allergies or a long-term condition. Give a copy to the school, the sitter and the grandparents.