Topics in Senior Care: PA Yellow Dot Program
If you drive in Pennsylvania, you might have seen the the yellow dots are on the left rear window of cars and wondered what they meant. Well, in PA, several organizations have joined together for the Yellow Dot Program including PA Department of Transportation, PA Department of Health and Aging, the State Police, the PA Turnpike Commission and First Responders as well as your local law enforcement.
If you happen to be in a car accident and you are unable to communicate your needs, the Yellow Dot notifies emergency workers that you have a yellow folder in your glove compartment that will contain a completed medical sheet that includes the following info:
- Medical conditions/recent surgeries
- Allergies
- Medications
- Physician contact info
- Hospital preference (not guaranteed)
The yellow folder will also have a photo of you and emergency contact information.
Many people have a cell phone that has an ICE (in case of emergency) contact in their phone directory. Although more and more seniors have a cell phone, the Yellow Dot program is a great idea to keep important information in case of an accident. In addition, you can have additional sheets for someone like a spouse who may frequently be in your car.
Safe driving is an important senior care issue and with this program, you can breathe easier that your medical info and emergency contact info will be readily available to those that need it.
For more information and how to obtain a Yellow Dot packet, just visit http://www.yellowdot.pa.gov/.