vorDa/Getty
A caregiver contingency plan can prepare your family for short-and long-term scenarios if one of you gets sick.
Westend61/Getty Images
- Jen Hyde is a writer currently in isolation in New York City with her toddler and 70-year-old mother.
- She has become increasingly concerned about what would happen to her son if she or her mom were to contract the coronavirus.
- Hyde and her partner decided to prepare a caregiver contingency plan for their son to prepare for short-and long-term scenarios in the case that something happened to them.
- It's important to put on paper your child's daily schedule, list of allergies and medications, food preferences, and anything they need or are used to for emotional reasons.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
Coronavirus has shaped a reality none of us ever imagined living. In less than a week, I became housebound with my toddler and 70-year old mother. We live in New York City, which has had more than 93,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus, and where the death toll has surpassed 5,000. Because I have congenital heart disease, I'm worried about what will happen to my son if my mom or I get sick.
I'm married to my son's father, but six months ago he took a job in the Bay Area. Prior to the pandemic, we reunited our family every few weeks. Since this is no longer a safe possibility, we decided to write a caregiver contingency plan to prepare for short and long term scenarios in which our child would live with another relative or friend.
Courtesy of Jen Hyde
Jen Hyde.
Part of this plan was very straightforward. I drafted my child's daily schedule, made a list of his favorite books, media, and food preferences. I wrote down allergies, medications, and phone numbers for his pediatrician and dentist, and translated many of his idiosyncratic phrases.
While all this is essential, it doesn't consider my son's emotional or financial health. To make my plan more robust, I asked four experts what else to include in the short and long term. Here's what I learned.
Do you have a personal experience with the coronavirus you'd like to share? Or a tip on how your town or community is handling the pandemic? Please email covidtips@businessinsider.com and tell us your story.
Get the latest coronavirus business & economic impact analysis from Business Insider Intelligence on how COVID-19 is affecting industries.