Can’t Set Foot In Your Loved One’s Hospital Room?

Updated 3/22/2021

How To Stay Connected With The People You Love, Even If You’re Not Allowed In Their Hospital Room

What can you do to keep someone you love as safe and connected as possible if they end up in the hospital in the middle of the pandemic?

A lot more than you think…

The minute we wrote and enacted three Next of Kin laws to protect hospital patients, people began asking us what they can do to keep the people they love safe while they’re in the hospital.

Usually our advice is pretty straightforward.

Go to the hospital with them and don’t ever leave them alone.  Just pitch a tent at their bedside and get comfortable.

Laura and Jan Greenwald, After WAY Too Much Experience With The Subject

Okay, there’s a little more to it than that.  But THAT was before Coronavirus reared its ugly head.

Now every hospital here in the U.S. and around the world, has a new mandate to keep everyone as safe as possible.

No visitors.  No family.  No argument.

Now what?

The good news is that with some easy to use tools and tips you can keep your loved one and her medical staff safely at arm’s length while keeping a pulse on her and her condition.

Here are some easy ways to stay in constant communication with your loved one and his medical team, even if you can’t set foot in the hospital.

On The Phone

This is probably the easiest way to keep in touch with your patient. Even if he or she can’t speak, a member of the medical staff can always put the phone up to their ear or put the call on speaker so you can talk to them

I don’t have to tell you what a difference hearing a familiar voice on the phone can make for someone who is critically ill, unconscious or unresponsive. After my Grandma’s stroke, the moment she heard Mom’s and my voices on the phone, her eyes snapped open and she came out of her coma.  Enough said. 

FaceTime | Skype | Webex | Zoom

Video calls are a great way to stay in touch with anyone in the hospital.

One of the worst things about not being able to be at someone’s bedside, is not being able to see them and have them see you. FaceTime, Skype, Webex and Zoom solve that problem.  Remember, many COVID -19 patients have to be on a ventilator for at least part of their treatment, which renders them unable to speak. But a video call – quick and easy for any staff member to do – gives both of you the real time contact you need to see each other and to see exactly what’s going on.

If you want to use FaceTime or Skype, be sure to write down the user names or passwords you’ll need on your Information Central page, so you and the medical staff will have them handy.  And don’t forget to make sure the app is working on both of your smartphones or devices like our favorites the Samsung Galaxy and iPhone, before you send your loved one’s phone with him to the hospital. 

Texting

Is your loved one is awake and able to use his or her smartphone, but not able to carry on a long conversation?  Then texting is a great alternative.  The whole family texting little updates, well wishes, pictures, videos and even jokes can really make the day of someone stuck in bed.

Texts can also be read back to him once he’s awake and able to listen. Some phones like iPhones also let you send an audio or video text which is a great way to send love to or from the hospital or help relieve boredom during recovery.  

Social Media 

When you have to communicate fast, don’t forget Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. They all have instant messaging, so if you need to reach busy family members quickly, they might just spot a direct message faster than a missed call or text. 

Games 

If your family or friends play group games like Words With Friends online, be sure to tuck this login in your loved ones contacts so they’ll have it with them if they want to stay connected.   It’s a great way to keep some normalcy during those times when everything else seems to be spiraling out of control. 

White Board

When you have a chance to talk to the nurses taking care of your loved one, ask them if they would take a moment to jot down a few updates about your patient on the whiteboard in her room.  Any improvements that she’s made, how they feel her day went, or even what she had for lunch.   Then when they call to give you an update (preferably twice a day) you won’t just get a medical rundown.  They’ll be able to give you a quick status along with a personal update.  

Playlists

If you have time, put together a playlist of power songs, relaxing songs and just plain favorites for your love one to listen to during rough times and recovery.  You can also assemble a list of favorite movies that can be streamed along with the name of the streaming service you use, so it’s easy for a hospital staff member to help your loved one to find her favorites.

Other Ways To Stay In Touch

There is no one more inventive than a family desperate to communicate with someone they love.  We’ve all heard stories all the way through the pandemic about people using walkie-talkies and baby monitors outside their husband’s or mom’s hospital window to be with them, so they won’t be alone.  

Some temporary makeshift hospitals might not even have phones at their patient’s bedsides.  So whatever way you find to stay in communication with sick loved ones – don’t ever let anyone – a hospital, doctor, nurse, first responder – anyone – tell you that you won’t be able to communicate with the person you love.   You just have to figure out HOW to make it happen.

The most important thing to remember is that the person you love is not alone.  You’re only a FaceTime (or call or text or Tweet) away.

For a book’s worth of tips and tools on keeping the people you love safe while hospitalized during Coronavirus, pick up a copy of our book Alone Together in paperback or instant download.

Alone Together | The Book Inspired By The Pandemic

Protect The People You Love, Even If You Can’t Set Foot In Their Hospital Room.  In just weeks, COVID-19 changed the rules at every hospital in the world.  No visitors.  No family.  No argument.  Now what?  What can YOU do to keep someone you love as safe and connected as possible if they end up in the hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic?  A lot more than you think.   Paperback Or Instant Download

At Your Fingertips | Make Your Smartphone Even Smarter

What if I told you, there was something you have with you right now, that can give you the support, information & ability you need to keep everyone and everything you love safe and sound, PLUS the power to gather your family in seconds no matter where they are. What is it? It’s your smartphone!  At Your Fingertips is an easy to read, easy to use guide that turns your smartphone into your very own life preserver. Paperback Or Instant Download

Keep The Stuff You Love Safe

How To Save Your Treasured Voice Mail Messages

How To Save Your Home Movies And Videos

How To Archive Your Digital Photos

How To Archive Your Print Photos

How To Make A Home Inventory

How To Get Your Financial Life In Order

How To Preserve Your Family History

How To Back Up Your Facebook Friends List

Turn Your Smartphone Into A Mobile Command Center

How To Backup Your Music, MP3s And Vinyl Albums

How To Access Your Money No Matter Where You Are

As Amazon Associates we earn commissions from qualifying purchases made from product links.

How To Set Up Your Medical ID & ICE Contact On An Apple Watch

Updated On 3/1/21

Wondering how to set up your Medical ID or ICE Contact on your new #AppleWatch?

As long as you have your iPhone handy, it couldn’t be easier. One of the best things about the Apple Watch is that whatever information you put on your iPhone syncs up perfectly with your watch.  Which is great news when you’re setting up your ICE Contact and Medical ID.  There’s nothing worse than trying to type on a tiny little screen, right?  If you’ve already set up your ICE Contacts and Medical ID on your iPhone, you’re already set.  All you or a hospital has to do is press and hold the side button on your watch.

The Medical ID slide button will appear.  Just tap it and you’ll see your Medical ID information.  Scroll down to emergency contacts, to view any ICE Contacts you added to the Medical ID on your iPhone.

If you happen to be a medical professional or a first responder, this is a great way to find an unconscious patient’s medical and emergency information.

But what if you haven’t set up your ICE Contacts and Medical ID on your iPhone yet? Not to worry!  Here’s how to do it the RIGHT way, in just a few minutes.

How To Set Up Your ICE Contacts and Medical ID On Your iPhone

As much as we love Apple’s Medical ID, there are two reasons you still need to make a regular ICE Contact, to use along with it. 

Number 1:  You can put an unlimited amount of vital information into a regular contact.

Number 2:  Hospitals are used to looking for ICE Contacts rather than Medical ID and if you don’t have a regular one, they might miss it.

And with the way the world has been the last few years — from hurricanes to wildfires, tornadoes and oh yeah, COVID — having an ICE contact is an awesome way keep your family safe and connected no matter WHAT is happening around you.

Below, you’ll find everything you need not only to set up your Medical ID the RIGHT way, but the ICE Contacts that go along with it. 

First grab the information you’ll need:

All of the contact info for your two (or more) emergency contacts.

• A list of your allergies.

• A list of your medical conditions/recent surgeries

• The contact information for your main physician(s)

• Any other information you would like an ER to know about you.

Grab your phone and let’s get started!

1. Put the word ICE, all capitals, in the First Name field. Don’t type anything else in this field!

2. Put your ICE Contact’s full name and relationship to you in the Company field, ie John Smith – Husband.

3. Type in every phone number you have for your contact.

4. Type in all of your contact’s email addresses — again, every last one.

5. Type in all of your contact’s social media handles/user names. You never know what will be up and running in an emergency. Many people have reached loved ones on Facebook and Twitter, when cell phone and landline service was down.

6. All of your own allergies, medications and medical history go in the notes section. Even better capitalize the words ALLERGIES, MEDICATIONS etc to ensure that they’re seen. 

7. Add your physician’s names and phone numbers in the notes section and if you like, a link to your own Medical History Form. If you don’t have one, you can borrow one of ours.

8. Is your contact in different locations on different days? Add that in the notes section as well.

9. Instead of their photo, add an ICE Contact Graphic to the contact to make it stand out. Go to our Free Resource Page to find one you love.

10. And finally, never put your social security number or insurance member number into your ICE Contact. You can add the name of your insurance company and customer service number, but the actual numbers can wait until later.

And now, let’s make your ICE info even easier to find, by setting up your iPhone’s Medical ID.  

Don’t forget that you can fill in your ICE Contact on your Mac or iPad.  Not only is it easier to type on a larger screen, but once you save it to your contacts, it will sync with iCloud and appear right on your phone.

What Is Medical ID?

Medical ID, a part of the Apple Health App, not only gives you a place to put your emergency medical information, but it puts a link to that information right on the front of your phone, where it can be viewed by a hospital even if your phone is password locked. 

You’ll find it on most iPhones (iPhone 6 and up) using iOS 8 and higher.   If your phone is older and doesn’t have Medical ID, you can just leave your ICE Contact the way it is.

On your home screen click on the Health App – it’s the one with the heart on it.  This will take you to the Dashboard page of the Health App.  On the bottom right of the screen, you’ll see the Medical ID icon.  Click on it. 

On the Medical ID screen, click on the red link that says Create Medical ID.

The most important part of the Medical ID screen is at the top.  It’s the On/Off Switch that shows a link to your emergency information on the home screen of your phone even when it’s password-locked. 

Before you do anything else, switch this to the ON position.  It will turn green like the graphic below.

By the way, none of the information in your Medical ID is shared with any of the other apps on your phone.

Enter All Of Your Information

Put all the information you possibly can into your Medical ID.

As you can see it already has fields for your birth date, medical conditions, allergies, current medications and other information.  There are two sections that you need to pay special attention to – Medical Notes and Add Emergency Contact.

After you finish filling in the regular fields, use the Notes Section to list anything that didn’t fit into them, like the names and phone numbers of your physicians and healthcare providers and contact information for your Insurance Company.  Again, don’t add any sensitive personal information like a social security number, insurance member ID number or financial information.  

You can also place a link to your Medical History Form in the Notes Section to give emergency personnel to quick access to your medical history until your emergency contact arrives at the hospital.

Add Your Emergency Contact

When you click on Medical ID’s Add Emergency Contact button, it will show you a list of your contacts, so you can choose the people you’d like to add to your Medical ID.  That’s why we had you set up your ICE Contacts first. 

Go ahead and click on the button and choose your first ICE Contact. 

If you have additional ICE Contacts (a smart idea, in case your first contact is unreachable), then click on the Add Emergency Contact field again to add as many additional people as you would like.

Want to save time turning your husband or wife’s contact into an ICE Contact?  Simple!  Just tap & hold the contact you want to use, choose share and email it to yourself. Then open it in your email, make the changes from above to turn it into an ICE Contact and save it to your contacts as ICE.

That’s all there is to it!

While you’re here, be sure to check out our other posts like How To Put An ICE Contact On Your Samsung Galaxy, Android or Window’s Phone (you’ll find the links below), to learn EVERYTHING you need to know about ICEing nearly any type of phone.

And don’t forget to put ICE Contacts on your spouse’s and kid’s phones too, along with each other’s contact information, so you can get in touch with each other quickly and easily.

Having an ICE contact and Medical ID is an awesome way keep your family safe and connected no matter WHAT is happening around you.

Have Fun Getting Your Stuff Together!

The ICE My Phone Kit

Did you know your smartphone can save your life? It can also save your spouse’s life, your kid’s lives and the lives of everyone you love! The secret is letting your phone do the talking for you in an emergency. How? With ICE, your in case of emergency contact. In “The ICE My Phone Kit” you’ll find step by step directions for ICEing, iPhones, Galaxies, regular Androids, Windows and even flip phones. Paperback Or Instant Download

At Your Fingertips | Make Your Smartphone Even Smarter

What if I told you, there was something you have with you right now, that can give you the support, information & ability you need to keep everyone and everything you love safe and sound, PLUS the power to gather your family in seconds no matter where they are. What is it? It’s your smartphone! At Your Fingertips is an easy to read, easy to use guide that turns your smartphone into your very own life preserver. Paperback Or Instant Download

How To Set Up Your ICE Contacts

How To Set Up An ICE Contact On Your iPhone

How To Set Up An ICE Contact On Your Samsung Galaxy Phone

How To Set Up An ICE Contact On Your Android Smartphone

How To Put An ICE Contact & Medical ID On Your Apple Watch

How To Set Up Your Medical ID & ICE Contact On The iPhone

How to put an ICE Contact on your Samsung Galaxy Lock Screen

Can I Put An ICE Contact On A Password Protected iPhone?

How To Find Your Patient’s Medical Information & ICE Contacts On An iPhone.

Cómo Colocar Un En Caso de Contacto de Emergencia En Su Teléfono Celular

Why Are ICE Contacts So Important?

Create An ICE Contact In 2 Minutes

The Two Things You should NEVER put in your ICE Contact

Don’t Carry A Wallet? Here are 20 Places To Put Your Emergency Wallet Card

Keep The People You Love Safe

How To Keep Your Medical History At Your Fingertips

How To Create A Family Evacuation Plan

How To Fill Out Your Child’s Emergency Contact Card

How To Find Your Patient’s Emergency Contacts On An iPhone

Updated On 2/28/21

How To Find Your Patient’s Medical Information and ICE Contacts On An iPhone  

As emergency physicians, nurses, paramedics, police officers and other first responders know, there’s nothing worse than staring down at a critically ill patient who can’t answer of your questions.  Who can’t tell you who they are, what medications they’re taking or one thing about their medical history. 

Or can they?  What if your patient had something in their pocket that could tell you all the critical information you need to save their life?   

They do. 

It’s their iPhone. 

But how do you find all that information, especially if they password protect their phone? It’s a lot easier than you think! 

Here’s how to do it. 

What Am I Looking For? 

You’re looking for their Medical ID or their ICE/Emergency Contacts. 

Pick up your patient’s phone and look at the screen.  You might have to click the round home button or power button to wake it up.  If the phone is off, just hold the power button for a few seconds to turn it on.

Does the phone screen look like picture 1, 2 or 3 below? 

#1 Password Protected With Medical ID 

Most new iPhones have an emergency link called Medical ID, which displays the owner’s medical information and emergency contacts, even if the phone is password protected. 

Locate Medical Information & Emergency Contacts 

Tap the word EMERGENCY on the lower left side of the screen. Then on the next screen, tap MEDICAL ID.  

This will open Medical ID.

Not only will you be able to see any medical history or information that your patient has entered, but you’ll be able to see their ICE/Emergency Contacts at the bottom of the Medical ID screen.

Locate Patient’s Name And Contact Information

Didn’t find anything helpful?  Let’s try and find your patient’s name and contact information.

Look at the screen, hold down the home button and say the following words in this order.

“Who does this iPhone belong to?” 

Siri should respond with your patient’s name and any basic contact information that he or she entered on the phone. 

Locate Patient’s Next Of Kin 

If you weren’t able to find the information you need, here are a few ideas that might help.  

#2 Password Protected iPhone Without Medical ID

Locate Medical Information  

If you see a password screen but don’t see the word EMERGENCY, the iPhone is a little older than most.  It won’t have Medical ID, but it might still have an ICE Contact.  

Locate ICE/Emergency Contacts 

Just press and hold down the  Main Home Button — the big round button on the bottom of the phone — to access Siri.  Then say the following words in this order. 

“Siri, Contacts ICE”.    

If the phone has an ICE contact, Siri should display it for you.

Locate Patient’s Name And Contact Information 

If Siri doesn’t bring anything up, press and hold down the  Main Home Button, and say the following words in this order. 

“Who does this iPhone belong to?” 

Siri should respond with your patient’s name and any basic contact information the he or she entered on the phone. 

Locate Patient’s Next Of Kin 

If you weren’t able to find the information you need, here are a few ideas that might help.  

#3 Not Password Protected

Locate Medical Information 

If the phone isn’t password protected, all you have to do is look for Medical ID or through the phone’s Contacts yourself.  

The quickest way to find it, is to ask Siri.  Swipe the arrow near the bottom of the screen from left to right, to open the home screen. 

Look at the screen and say the following words in this order:  

“Hey Siri, open Medical ID”.  

If Siri responds, check the Medical ID for the information you need.

If nothing happens, Siri probably isn’t switched on.  But you can still find the Medical ID by finding and opening the Apple Health App. 

Locate and click on the App’s Icon.  It’s the one with the Heart (SEE BELOW) and then click on Medical ID. 

Not only will you be able to see any medical history or information that your patient has entered, but you’ll be able to see their ICE/Emergency Contacts at the bottom of the Medical ID screen.

Locate ICE/Emergency Contacts 

Nothing helpful in the Medical ID?  

Time to look at the phone’s Contacts to see if you can find your patient’s ICE contacts or the name of their spouse, relatives or close friends. 

Tap the Phone icon and then tap on Contacts. 

The first contact on the list is usually the owner of the phone, so be sure to look there if you need to find your patient’s name or personal contact information.

Then scroll the rest of the phone/contacts to try and locate your patient’s spouse, parents, relatives or close friends.  

Locate Patient’s Next Of Kin 

If you weren’t able to find the information you need, here are a few ideas that might help.  

How To Find Medical ID On An Apple Watch 

Password Protected 

Locate Medical Information & Emergency Contacts 

Pick up the watch and look at the screen.  If it’s password protected, press and hold the side button (the crown on the watch) drag the Medical ID slider to the right.  

Once you open the Medical ID scroll to the bottom (by turning the side button/crown) to read the information.  Your patient’s emergency Contact should be listed towards the bottom of the Medical ID. 

To call a contact, touch the contact’s name from the list to call them.  If their iPhone isn’t nearby, you’ll have to call the contact number from another phone.   

Not Password Protected 

Locate Medical Information 

If the Apple Watch isn’t password protected, look at the screen and say the following words in this order:  

“Hey Siri, open Medical ID”.  

Locate ICE/Emergency Contacts 

Nothing helpful in the Medical ID?  Time to look at the phone’s Contacts to see if you can find your patient’s ICE Contacts or the name of their spouse, relatives or close friends. 

On the Home screen find and tap the Phone app.  

Now tap Contacts.  To look through the contacts, turning the side button/crown to scroll them. 

If you’re a healthcare professional or a first responder…

Remember these instructions the next time you encounter an unconscious patient with an iPhone. 

While you’re here, take a moment to check out  How To Put An ICE Contact On Your iPhone, or How To Put And ICE Contact On Your Samsung Galaxy to learn how to set up a fully loaded, life saving ICE Contact on your own phone in two minutes or less.  

And don’t forget to put ICE Contacts on your spouse’s and kid’s phones too, along with each other’s contact information, so you can get in touch with each other quickly and easily.

Have Fun Getting Your Stuff Together!

The ICE My Phone Kit

Did you know your smartphone can save your life? It can also save your spouse’s life, your kid’s lives and the lives of everyone you love! The secret is letting your phone do the talking for you in an emergency. How? With ICE, your in case of emergency contact. In “The ICE My Phone Kit” you’ll find step by step directions for ICEing, iPhones, Galaxies, regular Androids, Windows and even flip phones. Paperback Or Instant Download

At Your Fingertips | Make Your Smartphone Even Smarter

What if I told you, there was something you have with you right now, that can give you the support, information & ability you need to keep everyone and everything you love safe and sound, PLUS the power to gather your family in seconds no matter where they are. What is it? It’s your smartphone! At Your Fingertips is an easy to read, easy to use guide that turns your smartphone into your very own life preserver. Paperback Or Instant Download

How To Set Up Your ICE Contacts

How To Set Up An ICE Contact On Your iPhone

How To Set Up An ICE Contact On Your Samsung Galaxy Phone

How To Set Up An ICE Contact On Your Android Smartphone

How To Put An ICE Contact & Medical ID On Your Apple Watch

How To Set Up Your Medical ID & ICE Contact On The iPhone

How to put an ICE Contact on your Samsung Galaxy Lock Screen

Can I Put An ICE Contact On A Password Protected iPhone?

How To Find Your Patient’s Medical Information & ICE Contacts On An iPhone.

Cómo Colocar Un En Caso de Contacto de Emergencia En Su Teléfono Celular

Why Are ICE Contacts So Important?

Create An ICE Contact In 2 Minutes

The Two Things You should NEVER put in your ICE Contact

Don’t Carry A Wallet? Here are 20 Places To Put Your Emergency Wallet Card

Keep The People You Love Safe

How To Keep Your Medical History At Your Fingertips

How To Create A Family Evacuation Plan

How To Fill Out Your Child’s Emergency Contact Card

As Amazon Associates we earn commissions from qualifying purchases made from product links.

The Two Minutes That Can Save Your Life

Updated On 3/2/21

In 2020 due to COVID 19, millions of people ended up in the hospital, many in critical condition, who never in their wildest imaginations thought they would be going there. Many were separated from their spouses, children, friends and family who may very well be in another hospital, or who they might never see again.

The thing they have in common is that the doctors and nurses caring for them don’t know them personally. They don’t know what prescriptions they are taking, what they might be allergic to, or what hidden medical conditions might be lurking.

No one could have predicted how severely the pandemic would affect the world or how long it would continue.   But what you can prevent, is lack of information. If you don’t have an ICE Contact on your own iPhone, your spouses and kid’s phone, please stop what you’re doing and go to these links on our blog RIGHT NOW. This is the quick version for iPhone and for the Samsung Galaxy.

You can also find full ICE Contact instructions for every popular phone, smart and flip alike, in our book At Your Fingertips at this link.

Need copies for your group, company or organization? Leave a comment below and we’ll be in touch.

Have Fun Getting Your Stuff Together!

The ICE My Phone Kit

Did you know your smartphone can save your life? It can also save your spouse’s life, your kid’s lives and the lives of everyone you love! The secret is letting your phone do the talking for you in an emergency. How? With ICE, your in case of emergency contact. In “The ICE My Phone Kit” you’ll find step by step directions for ICEing, iPhones, Galaxies, regular Androids, Windows and even flip phones. Paperback Or Instant Download

 

At Your Fingertips | Make Your Smartphone Even Smarter

What if I told you, there was something you have with you right now, that can give you the support, information & ability you need to keep everyone and everything you love safe and sound, PLUS the power to gather your family in seconds no matter where they are. What is it? It’s your smartphone! At Your Fingertips is an easy to read, easy to use guide that turns your smartphone into your very own life preserver. Paperback Or Instant Download

 

 

How To Set Up Your ICE Contacts

How To Set Up An ICE Contact On Your iPhone

How To Set Up An ICE Contact On Your Samsung Galaxy Phone

How To Set Up An ICE Contact On Your Android Smartphone

How To Put An ICE Contact & Medical ID On Your Apple Watch

How To Set Up Your Medical ID & ICE Contact On The iPhone

How to put an ICE Contact on your Samsung Galaxy Lock Screen

Can I Put An ICE Contact On A Password Protected iPhone?

How To Find Your Patient’s Medical Information & ICE Contacts On An iPhone.

Cómo Colocar Un En Caso de Contacto de Emergencia En Su Teléfono Celular

Why Are ICE Contacts So Important?

Create An ICE Contact In 2 Minutes

The Two Things You should NEVER put in your ICE Contact

Don’t Carry A Wallet? Here are 20 Places To Put Your Emergency Wallet Card

Keep The People You Love Safe

How To Keep Your Medical History At Your Fingertips

How To Create A Family Evacuation Plan

How To Fill Out Your Child’s Emergency Contact Card

As Amazon Associates we earn commissions from qualifying purchases made from product links.

The Two Minute ICE Contact for Samsung Galaxy

What if I told you that you could put an ICE Contact on your Samsung Galaxy with everything it needs to have in it to save your life, in 2 MINUTES FLAT?

Would you grab your phone and go for it?  Of course you would!  In fact, even if you already have an ICE Contact on your smartphone, I guarantee that you’re probably missing a few key things.

Last week we showed you how to do a 2 Minute ICE Contact on your iPhone, so we thought this week, we’d switch things up so owners of Samsung Galaxy’s could get in on the fun.  So what are you waiting for?  Grab your phone and let’s get started!

1.  Put the word ICE, all capitals, in the First Name field.

2.  Put your ICE Contact’s first and last name in the Last Name field.

3.  Type in all of your contact’s phone numbers.  EVERY one that you have for them

4. Type in all of your contact’s email addresses — again, every last one.

5. Type in all of your contact’s social media handles/user names in the website section of your contact.  You never know what will be working in an emergency.  Many people have reached loved ones on Facebook and Twitter, when cell phone and landline service was down.

6. If you don’t have a field for Relationship, add one by adding new field and choosing the one called, oddly enough, Relationship.  Then choose or enter the way that this contact is related to you.

7. Your own allergies, medications and medical history go in the notes section.  Even better capitalize the words ALLERGIES, MEDICATIONS etc to ensure that they’re seen.

8.  You can also add your physician’s names and phone numbers in the notes section and if you like, a link to your own medical history form.  If you don’t have one, you can borrow one of ours.

9.  Is your contact in different locations on different days?  Add that in the notes section as well.

10. Instead of their photo, add an ICE Contact Graphic to the contact to make it stand out.  Here are a few to choose from.

11.  And finally, never, ever put your social security number or insurance member number into your ICE Contact.  You may put the name of your insurance company and their customer service number in if you like, but as long as your emergency contact comes to the hospital and can provide that information, it’s probably not necessary.

And there you have it.  One fully loaded ICE Contact.  Two Minutes.

While you’re here, be sure to check out our other posts like How To Put and ICE Contact On Your Samsung Galaxy or How To Put An ICE Contact On Your iPhone, or  to learn EVERYTHING you need to know about ICEing your phone. 

And while you’re feeling proactive, don’t forget to put ICE Contacts on your spouse’s and kid’s phones too, along with each other’s contact information.   

Have Fun Getting Your Stuff Together! We’ll talk later…

How To Set Up Your ICE Contacts

How To Set Up An ICE Contact On Your iPhone

How To Set Up An ICE Contact On Your Samsung Galaxy Phone

How To Set Up An ICE Contact On Your Android Smartphone

How To Set Up Your Medical ID & ICE Contact On The iPhone 6

How to put an ICE Contact on your Samsung Galaxy Lock Screen

Can I Put An ICE Contact On A Password Protected iPhone?

Cómo Colocar Un En Caso de Contacto de Emergencia En Su Teléfono Celular

Why Are ICE Contacts So Important?

Create An ICE Contact In 2 Minutes

The Two Things You should NEVER put in your ICE Contact

Don’t Carry A Wallet? Here are 20 Places To Put Your Emergency Wallet Card

 

How to Protect Your Family Photos From Natural Disasters

Updated 3/7/21

Nothing is worse than watching a victim of the latest disaster digging through the timbers of her home looking for the things she loves most: favorite photos.

The worst part is this type of loss is so easy to prevent! Why are we so good at backing up our smartphone pictures – including the one of yesterday’s lunch – five different ways? But the photos we love most are hanging on the wall unprotected!

• Before hurricane, tornado, wildfire or volcano season catches you unprepared, grab your photos off the walls and scan them at home or at your local copy shop.

• Back up the scans to several different locations in and out of your home, including your PC, digital cameras, portable hard drive, safe deposit box and the cloud. That way if anything ever happens, all you have to do is reprint your favorites and hang them up on your new wall.

Want more tips to keep your family safe?

Over 1.3 million families across the globe have learned how to keep everything and everyone they love safe and sound through our books We’re on a mission to get our books out to donate 200,000 free downloadable copies of our books, Back It Up and Keep Everything You Love Safe.  Pick up your copies today, then help us spread the word on social media.

And while you’re at it, be sure to check out other tips on one of my favorite content sites 30Seconds.com.

 

Have Fun Getting Your Stuff Together!

Back It Up

I don’t know about you, but the most important keepsakes in our house are our old family photos, followed closely by our home movies and music. But grabbing piles of photo albums and all your picture frames off the walls is pretty hard to do when you’re running out the door! With Back It Up, you’ll learn quick, easy steps to back up your print/digital photos, home movies, music (including vinyl & cassettes) and save them in multiple, disaster proof locations. Paperback Or Instant Download

 

Keep Everything You Love Safe | The Book Inspired By The Blog

Keep Everything You Love Safe, is filled with quick, easy, 5 minute steps you can take right now, to get everything that’s important to you organized, safe, sound and accessible. Each section covers a different area, from backing up and fixing family photos, home movies and music, to vital documents, medical and financial information and even getting your digital life in order. Paperback Or Instant Download

 

Keep The Stuff You Love Safe

How To Save Your Treasured Voice Mail Messages

How To Save Your Home Movies And Videos

How To Archive Your Digital Photos

How To Archive Your Print Photos

How To Make A Home Inventory

How To Get Your Financial Life In Order

How To Preserve Your Family History

How To Back Up Your Facebook Friends List

Turn Your Smartphone Into A Mobile Command Center

How To Backup Your Music, MP3s And Vinyl Albums

How To Access Your Money No Matter Where You Are

 

How Satellite Phones Can Keep You Connected To Your Business & Family

Updated On 9/28/21

To us, one of the worst things that all of the recent disasters had in common, was that they left millions of people — millions of families — disconnected from everything that they needed not only to survive, but to recover. 

And with the way the world has been the last few years — from hurricanes to wildfires, tornadoes and oh yeah, COVID — having an ICE contact is the perfect way to keep your family safe and connected no matter WHAT is happening around you.

Natural disasters can strike at any time, leaving you and your family stranded without the ability to do something as simple as make a phone call.  Over the last few years, the United States has experienced wildfires in California, tornadoes throughout the Gulf Coast, flooding near rivers and devastation caused by hurricanes in Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico.  While physical essentials like food, water and shelter are often limited during disasters, communications are often overlooked as an emergency resource.  In the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, Puerto Rico experienced an outage of their land-based networks that are used for landlines and cell phone usage.  First responders relied on satellite communications in order to coordinate relief efforts, and afflicted families were able to connect with their loved ones using satellite phones.

In a disaster, there is a risk that telephone lines may fail quickly – and those that don’t can be overloaded with users attempting to place calls.  Satellite communications may become the only alternative as your ‘cellular tower in the sky’.  Iridium provides satellite connectivity with its network of 66 Low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellites that brings reliable service to anyone throughout the world.  Satellite connectivity is a critical emergency resource and backup communications source that allows you, your family, and colleagues to stay safe, aware and connected during a crisis. 

Is There One Phone That Stands Out From The Others?

As a matter of fact there is.  Iridium.  Iridium is the only provider that offers truly global coverage for mobile satellite devices.  Some providers have large stationary satellites placed in space over 22,000 miles away in Geostationary Orbit (GEO).  Given the distance away from Earth, satellite providers with LEO constellations, like Iridium, tend to experience lower latency on phone calls and provide coverage in areas that cannot be served by GEO constellations.  For example, if you’re stranded in a mountainous area, you may struggle to have a clear line of sight between your satellite phone and a GEO satellite.  With LEO satellites, terrain blockages resolve themselves as the satellites move overhead.

Iridium’s network of 66 LEO satellites continually orbiting the earth supplies clear and reliable communications no matter where you are.  Iridium offers easy-to-use satellite phones and devices that can quickly connect you to the Iridium network, and allow you to place calls during a crisis, especially when cellular connectivity is unavailable. 

How Do I Choose A Satellite Device?

Another benefit of a LEO network is the compact and mobile products associated with it.  For example, Iridium GO!® is a small ‘modem’ that connects your smartphone to the Iridium satellite network.  Simply load the Iridium GO! mobile application to your smartphone, connect it to the Iridium network and place a call.  Iridium GO! provides multiple options to stay in touch. You can check email, send a text, update your social media accounts or send an SOS message when in need.   

The Iridium satellite phone, called Iridium Extreme®, is suitable for users on the move. It has a rugged design that can withstand harsh conditions, and features an SOS-button for emergency situations. The SOS button  automatically dials the GEOS emergency response center, a part of the International Emergency Response Coordination Center (IERCC), providing a connection to a live support representative.  The SOS-functionality requires users to register online in order to initiate this emergency response service, and once pushed, the SOS button will send location data for response coordination with local public authorities. The button is programmable so corporations or organizations can have emergency calls routed to their internal response center if needed.

How Do I Use A Satellite Device?

An Iridium satellite phone is nearly as easy to use as a regular phone. However, here are some tips to keep you connected at all times. When using your satellite device, it is important that you ensure the device has been fully charged.  When placing a call from a satellite phone, make sure you have a clear view of the sky in order to connect to the network.  To place a call, simply dial 001 (US country code) followed by the phone number.

Having an emergency plan is a necessity in any household.  Ensuring you have a guaranteed and reliable communication source that works with you wherever you go is the best way to stay safe and connected during a disaster.  When preparing for a disaster, be sure to include an Iridium #SatellitePhone and #HotSpot in your emergency kit.  

High Tech Toys

Here are the coolest ways we can find to keep everyone you love safe and connected.  Smart phones, smart watches, smart flash drives that beam data where you need it and a car accessory that diagnoses your engine on the go.  You’re welcome.

Anker PowerConf Bluetooth Speakerphone

Apple Air Pods

Apple Watch Series 3  

Apple/iTunes Gift Card

Autobrain GPS Tracker for Vehicles

Iridium Extreme Satellite Phone  

Iridium GO! Satellite Phone Wi-Fi Hotspot

BlueCosmo Inmarsat IsatPhone

Samsung Galaxy Note 20

Samsung Gear Fit2 Smartwatch Large, Black

SanDisk 32GB iXpand Flash Drive for iPhone and iPad

Galaxy Fold Z2

IPhone 12 Pro Max

IPhone SE

IPod Touch

Jitterbug Flip Phone

The Ridge Slim RFID Front Pocket Wallet

Tulips In The Breeze Smartphone Case

Red Parrot Smartphone Case

The COVID pandemic has created a new list of toys that people can’t do without — including some very cool high-tech solutions to unexpected challenges.  Like staying healthy and working from home!  Here are some of our favorites.

Cubii Pro Seated Under Desk Elliptical Machine

I’m Smiling On The Inside Face Masks

iHealth No-Touch Forehead Thermometer

iProvèn Wrist Blood Pressure Monitor

KODAK Luma 150 Pocket Projector

No-Touch Door Opener, Button Pusher Tool

Owlet Smart Sock 2 Baby Monitor

PhoneSoap 3 UV Smartphone Sanitizer

Sony Tie-Clip-Style Omnidirectional Microphone

Total Gym APEX G5 Total Body Strength Training

Zacurate Fingertip Pulse Oximeter

Have Fun Getting Your Stuff Together!

The ICE My Phone Kit

Did you know your smartphone can save your life? It can also save your spouse’s life, your kid’s lives and the lives of everyone you love! The secret is letting your phone do the talking for you in an emergency. How? With ICE, your in case of emergency contact. In “The ICE My Phone Kit” you’ll find step by step directions for ICEing, iPhones, Galaxies, regular Androids, Windows and even flip phones. Paperback Or Instant Download

At Your Fingertips | Make Your Smartphone Even Smarter

What if I told you, there was something you have with you right now, that can give you the support, information & ability you need to keep everyone and everything you love safe and sound, PLUS the power to gather your family in seconds no matter where they are. What is it? It’s your smartphone! At Your Fingertips is an easy to read, easy to use guide that turns your smartphone into your very own life preserver. Paperback Or Instant Download

How To Set Up Your ICE Contacts

How To Set Up An ICE Contact On Your iPhone

How To Set Up An ICE Contact On Your Samsung Galaxy Phone

How To Set Up An ICE Contact On Your Android Smartphone

How To Put An ICE Contact & Medical ID On Your Apple Watch

How To Set Up Your Medical ID & ICE Contact On The iPhone

How to put an ICE Contact on your Samsung Galaxy Lock Screen

Can I Put An ICE Contact On A Password Protected iPhone?

How To Find Your Patient’s Medical Information & ICE Contacts On An iPhone.

Cómo Colocar Un En Caso de Contacto de Emergencia En Su Teléfono Celular

Why Are ICE Contacts So Important?

Create An ICE Contact In 2 Minutes

The Two Things You should NEVER put in your ICE Contact

Don’t Carry A Wallet? Here are 20 Places To Put Your Emergency Wallet Card

Keep The People You Love Safe

How To Keep Your Medical History At Your Fingertips

How To Create A Family Evacuation Plan

How To Fill Out Your Child’s Emergency Contact Card

As Amazon Associates we earn commissions from qualifying purchases made from product links.

The Importance Of A Reliable Plan

Create An ICE Contact In 2 Minutes

Updated On 3/2/21

What if I told you that you could put an ICE Contact on your Samsung Galaxy with everything it needs to have in it to save your life, in only 2 minutes?

In fact, even if you already have an ICE Contact on your regular Samsung Galaxy or Samsung Galaxy Note, I guarantee that you’re probably missing a few key pieces of information.

And with the way the world has been lately from hurricanes and wildfires to Coronavirus it’s more important than ever! Having an ICE contact is an awesome way keep your family safe and connected no matter WHAT is happening around you.

So what are you waiting for?  Grab your phone and let’s get started!

1  Put the word ICE, all capitals, in the First Name field.

2  Put your ICE Contact’s first and last name in the Last Name field.

3 Type in each and every one of your contact’s phone numbers.  

4 Type in all of your contact’s email addresses — again, every one you have for them.

5  Type in all of your contact’s social media handles/user names in the “Website” section of your contact.  You never know what type of communications will be working in an emergency.

Many people have reached loved ones on Facebook and Twitter, when cell phone and landline service was down.

6  If you don’t already have a field on your phone for Relationship, you can add one by tapping “Add New Field” and choosing the one called, “Relationship”.  Now you can choose Spouse, Friend, Parent — however this particular contact is related to you.

7  Your own allergies, medications and medical history go in the notes section.  Even better capitalize the words ALLERGIES, MEDICATIONS etc. to ensure that they’re seen.

8   You can also add your physician’s names and phone numbers in the notes section and if you like, a link to your own medical history form.  If you don’t have one, you can download one of ours. 

9   Is your contact in different locations on different days?  Add that in the notes section as well.

10   And finally, never, ever put your social security number or insurance member number into your ICE Contact.  You may put the name of your insurance company and their customer service number into the Notes section if you like, but as long as your emergency contact can provide that information when he or she gets to the hospital, it’s probably not necessary.

And by the way, when you set up your Medical ID in your iPhone, don’t forget that in an emergency, you can have your phone share the information in your Medical ID with physicians and first responders. In Health, click on your profile, then tap Medical ID, then Edit and turn on “Share During Emergency Call”.

And there you have it.  One fully loaded ICE Contact.  Two Minutes.

While you’re feeling proactive, don’t forget to put ICE Contacts on your spouse’s and kid’s phones too, along with each other’s contact information.

As amazing as our 2 Minute ICE Contact is, we have a high-powered, fully loaded version in our book “The ICE My Phone Kit” along with step by step directions for ICEing other phones like the IPhone 11, regular Androids and even phones that are, shall we say, not all that smart.

Have Fun Getting Your Stuff Together!

The ICE My Phone Kit

Did you know your smartphone can save your life? It can also save your spouse’s life, your kid’s lives and the lives of everyone you love! The secret is letting your phone do the talking for you in an emergency. How? With ICE, your in case of emergency contact. In “The ICE My Phone Kit” you’ll find step by step directions for ICEing, iPhones, Galaxies, regular Androids, Windows and even flip phones. Paperback Or Instant Download

At Your Fingertips | Make Your Smartphone Even Smarter

What if I told you, there was something you have with you right now, that can give you the support, information & ability you need to keep everyone and everything you love safe and sound, PLUS the power to gather your family in seconds no matter where they are. What is it? It’s your smartphone! At Your Fingertips is an easy to read, easy to use guide that turns your smartphone into your very own life preserver. Paperback Or Instant Download

How To Set Up Your ICE Contacts

How To Set Up An ICE Contact On Your iPhone

How To Set Up An ICE Contact On Your Samsung Galaxy Phone

How To Set Up An ICE Contact On Your Android Smartphone

How To Put An ICE Contact & Medical ID On Your Apple Watch

How To Set Up Your Medical ID & ICE Contact On The iPhone

How to put an ICE Contact on your Samsung Galaxy Lock Screen

Can I Put An ICE Contact On A Password Protected iPhone?

How To Find Your Patient’s Medical Information & ICE Contacts On An iPhone.

Cómo Colocar Un En Caso de Contacto de Emergencia En Su Teléfono Celular

Why Are ICE Contacts So Important?

Create An ICE Contact In 2 Minutes

The Two Things You should NEVER put in your ICE Contact

Don’t Carry A Wallet? Here are 20 Places To Put Your Emergency Wallet Card

Keep The People You Love Safe

How To Keep Your Medical History At Your Fingertips

How To Create A Family Evacuation Plan

How To Fill Out Your Child’s Emergency Contact Card

How To Keep Your Holiday Photos Safe

Updated 3/7/21

Do you remember that commercial with all of the pictures standing inside some guy’s camera, all squished together like they were riding on a subway car at rush hour?  They’d all jockey for position hoping that they wouldn’t be the picture that would get deleted to make room for whatever the camera owner wanted to take a picture of next.  It was hysterical!  Unless you’re the picture that gets deleted.  Or the owner of the camera who has to decide which of his favorite pictures to deleted so he can take another.

So how many photos are YOU going to take this Christmas or Hanukkah?

The picture of your toddler opening up her first tricycle?

The shot of your husband nearly knocking over the TV trying to put the star on the tree?

And how many of them will still be around for you to enjoy next year?

Not so funny, is it?  

There are two things that put every picture you take, in jeopardy.  The first is not taking the time to download the pictures you’ve already taken, onto your computer for safekeeping.   The second, is not being prepared to capture that once-in-a-lifetime photo whenever it happens.

Here are two simple steps, you can take that will completely eliminate the danger of losing this year’s special memories.

1) Do not, do not, do not use anything but a regular digital or video camera to take photos during the holidays.  Don’t grab the cell phone to snap the picture of the entire family including 101 year old Grandpa Charlie around the Christmas table.  Very few cell phones have enough megapixels to grab a good enough picture for the family to keep and share.  It might be convenient, but you know as well as I do that you’re going to get a blurry or fuzzy shot instead of what you really want.  And even you do manage to snap a Mona Lisa, you’re going to forget to email it to yourself, so don’t even think about it!

2) Instead, choose your best digital camera and keep it at your side throughout the holidays.  Keep it charged, or even better keep an extra battery charged as well.  And while you’re at it, keep an extra SD card ready to swap out, just in case your Hanukkah dinner ends up being photo-intensive than you thought.  To add an additional level of safety, draft another relative to do exactly the same thing so that you’ll get full coverage of every event.  Then you can get together when the holidays are over, compare your work and send the best photos to all of your relatives on a CD.   Now that’s a holiday to remember.

3) Don’t let the memory card on your camera get so full that you have to start deleting pictures!   In fact don’t let it get anywhere near full.   At the end of every evening make yourself take five minutes to download that day’s photos to your computer.  Make sure you already have the USB cable next to your computer before you leave for the evening so you won’t have any excuses when you get back home.  Get your kids or your husband to promise not to let you go to bed without downloading them, even if you have to leave the camera on the bed as a reminder.

4) If you’re really bad at remembering to download your photos to your computer, then watch the video above.  The secret is to let the your camera or phone do the downloading for you.  How?  Buy a wireless camera like the Canon Power Shot. Wi-Fi digital cameras automatically connect to the Wi-Fi connection in your home to upload your photos from your camera to your computer, without you having to lift a finger.  If you don’t have a wireless camera or don’t want to purchase a new one, get an Eye-Fi card.  Eye-Fi is an SD card with a built-in wireless connection that will do exactly the same thing.  We’ll get into more details about it in another blog post, but you can be in Italy sipping espresso at a sidewalk café with a Wi-Fi connection and your photos will begin appearing on your computer back home, safe and sound until you get return.

This year, don’t leave your photos to chance.  Take a moment to take these two simple steps and before you know it, you’ll be enjoying this year’s holiday photos.  While you’re putting up the ornaments next year.

Have Fun Getting Your Stuff Together!

Back It Up

I don’t know about you, but the most important keepsakes in our house are our old family photos, followed closely by our home movies and music. But grabbing piles of photo albums and all your picture frames off the walls is pretty hard to do when you’re running out the door! With Back It Up, you’ll learn quick, easy steps to back up your print/digital photos, home movies, music (including vinyl & cassettes) and save them in multiple, disaster proof locations. Paperback Or Instant Download

Keep Everything You Love Safe | The Book Inspired By The Blog
Keep Everything You Love Safe, is filled with quick, easy, 5 minute steps you can take right now, to get everything that’s important to you organized, safe, sound and accessible. Each section covers a different area, from backing up and fixing family photos, home movies and music, to vital documents, medical and financial information and even getting your digital life in order. Paperback Or Instant Download

Keep The Stuff You Love Safe

How To Save Your Treasured Voice Mail Messages

How To Save Your Home Movies And Videos

How To Archive Your Digital Photos

How To Archive Your Print Photos

How To Make A Home Inventory

How To Get Your Financial Life In Order

How To Preserve Your Family History

How To Back Up Your Facebook Friends List

Turn Your Smartphone Into A Mobile Command Center

How To Backup Your Music, MP3s And Vinyl Albums

How To Access Your Money No Matter Where You Are

 

If I Need Help Tags Provide Life Saving Information For People With Autism

This week we’re honored to have a guest post from Erin Wilson, founder of the non-profit organization If I Need Help and creator of an entire line of If I Need Help wearable QR codes for people with Autism.  Here’s Erin’s story…

My son Jay who has severe Autism was lost at school before and another time at an amusement park.  Thankfully, he was quickly found.  Studies report that wandering is the only cause of death due to Autism and that roughly half of people who have Autism wander from safe places.  The majority being people who have low or nonverbal ability.  My husband and I wanted to create a way to let people who see our son if he is lost to know that he is a person who needs help and then tell them how to help him.  So we started a Non Profit named If I Need Help making personal wearable QR codes, when scanned or manually entered it links to a live profile that can be edited in real time. The code can be printed out with the free membership. Also the Emergency Q&A can be filled in at the Caregiver’s leisure and emailed to first responders during a crisis.

We offer many different ways to wear the code:  patches, pins, clips, keychains, custom iD tags for shoes or necklaces, seat belt alerts and ID cards.  Custom Temporary tats will be out soon.  This way of identification and information is now also helping people with mental illness, memory care or with physical conditions in which they may need help during critical situations. Please go to IfiNeedHelp.org to learn more.

Have Fun Getting Your Stuff Together! We’ll talk later…

Introducing… The ICE My Phone Kit!

Buy Paperback Edition $14.99         Buy Downloadable Edition $5

More Amazing Things You Can Do In 5 Minutes Or Less

How To Set Up An ICE Contact On Your Smartphone

How To Download and Back Up Your Digital Photos

How To Fill Out Your Kid’s Emergency Contact Card

_________________________________________________

The Book Inspired By The Blog. The Backup Plan 3.0

The Backup Plan 3.0, is filled with quick, easy, 5 minute steps you can take right now, to get everything that’s important to you organized, safe, sound and accessible.  Each section covers a different area, from backing up and fixing family photos, home movies and music, to vital documents, medical and financial information and even getting your digital life in order.  This special Bonus Edition includes 7 downloadable Bonus Books.  Paperback Edition $24.99   Buy now at Amazon.com  Downloadable PDF Edition $8.00  Buy Now       Read more about it

Bulk orders & customization available for your company/organization. Contact us for more details.

No one will ever forget the footage from Superstorm Sandy of family after family searching through the wreckage of their homes for their keepsakes, only to find their most cherished possessions completely ruined. Don’t let this tragedy happen to YOUR parents. In this book you’ll learn how to help them back up their photos, videos, vinyl albums & address books, how to record and safeguard their vital information, medical history and vital documents. $12.95 Buy now at Amazon.com Read more about it

 

Raise Money & Save Lives!  Free Customized Editions of our books make a great fundraiser for your organization, company, or an extra stream of income for you.  

Your Business Continuity Plan May Be Missing Something…  Like your employees, for instance?  If your city is struck by a tornado, earthquake or other disaster, it isn’t just your company that will be affected – so will your employees.  That’s why you need to make sure they’re as prepared for an emergency as YOU are.  Don’t worry! We’ve got you covered.  Read More About It

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Watch Our How-To Videos On YouTube

Join Us On Pinterest

Free Resources

The Two Minute ICE Contact

Updated On 3/1/21

What if I told you that you could put an ICE Contact on your iPhone with everything it needs to have in it to save your life, in only 2 minutes?

Would you grab your phone and go for it?  Of course you would!  In fact, even if you already have an ICE Contact on your iPhone, I guarantee that you’re  missing a few key things.

And with the way the world has been the last few years — hurricanes, wildfires, tornadoes and COVID — it’s more important than ever!   Having an ICE contact is an awesome way keep your family safe and connected no matter WHAT is happening around you. 

Whether you have an IPhone SE, IPhone 11, Apple Watch, or a brand new IPhone 12 Pro Max, here is a quick and easy way to put a basic ICE Contact on your phone in just 2 minutes.

Before You Begin… 

If you password lock your phone, you’ll also need to set up the Medical ID on your iPhone.

It’s the only way that a hospital will be able to view your ICE Contact while you’re phone is locked.

So once you’ve finished your ICE Contact, set up the Medical ID on your phone, by clicking on the Health App (that’s the app with the heart that comes pre-loaded onto your phone). Then attach your ICE Contact(s) to the Medical ID so they’ll be easy for an emergency room to spot.  If you need detailed instructions on setting up your Medical ID you can find them in our book “At Your Fingertips“.

Grab your phone and let’s get started!

1 Put the word ICE, all capitals, in the First Name field.

2 Put your ICE Contact’s full name and relationship to you in the Company field.

3  Type in each and every one of your contact’s phone numbers.  

4 Type in all of your contact’s email addresses — again, every one you have for them.

5 Type in all of your contact’s social media handles/user names in the “Website” section of your contact.  

You never know what type of communications will be working in an emergency.  Many people have reached loved ones on Facebook and Twitter, when cell phone and landline service was down.

6 Your own allergies, medications and medical history go in the notes section.  Even better capitalize the words ALLERGIES, MEDICATIONS etc, to ensure that they’re seen.

7  You can also add your physician’s names and phone numbers in the notes section and if you like, a link to your own medical history form. If you don’t have one, you can download one of ours. 

8  Is your contact in different locations on different days?  Add that in the notes section as well.

9  And finally, never, ever put your social security number or insurance member number into your ICE Contact.  You may put the name of your insurance company and their customer service number into the Notes section if you like, but as long as your emergency contact can provide that information when he or she gets to the hospital, it’s probably not necessary.

If you’d also like to add your ICE Contact to your Apple watch, just make sure your contacts are synched with your iPhone and it will show up on your watch’s contacts as well.  To add it to your Health ID on both your iPhone and your Apple Watch, check out one of our other blog posts. 

And there you have it.  One fully loaded ICE Contact.  Two Minutes.

While you’re feeling proactive, don’t forget to put ICE Contacts on your spouse’s and kid’s phones too, along with each other’s contact information.

As amazing as our 2 Minute ICE Contact is, we have a high-powered, fully loaded version in our book “The ICE My Phone Kit” along with step by step directions for ICEing other phones like Samsung Galaxy, regular Androids and even phones that are, shall we say, not all that smart.

Have Fun Getting Your Stuff Together!

The ICE My Phone Kit

Did you know your smartphone can save your life? It can also save your spouse’s life, your kid’s lives and the lives of everyone you love! The secret is letting your phone do the talking for you in an emergency. How? With ICE, your in case of emergency contact. In “The ICE My Phone Kit” you’ll find step by step directions for ICEing, iPhones, Galaxies, regular Androids, Windows and even flip phones. Paperback Or Instant Download

At Your Fingertips | Make Your Smartphone Even Smarter

What if I told you, there was something you have with you right now, that can give you the support, information & ability you need to keep everyone and everything you love safe and sound, PLUS the power to gather your family in seconds no matter where they are. What is it? It’s your smartphone! At Your Fingertips is an easy to read, easy to use guide that turns your smartphone into your very own life preserver. Paperback Or Instant Download

How To Set Up Your ICE Contacts

How To Set Up An ICE Contact On Your iPhone

How To Set Up An ICE Contact On Your Samsung Galaxy Phone

How To Set Up An ICE Contact On Your Android Smartphone

How To Put An ICE Contact & Medical ID On Your Apple Watch

How To Set Up Your Medical ID & ICE Contact On The iPhone

How to put an ICE Contact on your Samsung Galaxy Lock Screen

Can I Put An ICE Contact On A Password Protected iPhone?

How To Find Your Patient’s Medical Information & ICE Contacts On An iPhone.

Cómo Colocar Un En Caso de Contacto de Emergencia En Su Teléfono Celular

Why Are ICE Contacts So Important?

Create An ICE Contact In 2 Minutes

The Two Things You should NEVER put in your ICE Contact

Don’t Carry A Wallet? Here are 20 Places To Put Your Emergency Wallet Card

Keep The People You Love Safe

How To Keep Your Medical History At Your Fingertips

How To Create A Family Evacuation Plan

How To Fill Out Your Child’s Emergency Contact Card

As Amazon Associates we earn commissions from qualifying purchases made from product links.

How To Back Up Your Parent’s Print Photos

Updated 3/7/21

How To Back Up Your Parent’s Printed Photos 

I don’t know about you, but the worst part about watching coverage of earthquakes — like the quakes in Ecuador and Japan — is the look on victim’s faces as they pick through the rubble of their homes, trying to find a photo of their wedding or of their children.  

In today’s world, now that we have smartphones, taking photos has become a daily event.  If one gets harmed or destroyed, we just print out another copy.  Not true though for old family photos that are hanging on the wall, or worse, stuck like glue inside a yellowed photo album.  

And where will you find most of those old photos?  At your parent’s and grandparent’s house — where unfortunately one-of-a-kind can mean just that.  One copy and that’s it! What a horrible thing it would be for them or for you to be left without the pictures you treasure the most, especially when keeping them safe and sound is so easy.

So give this post a quick read, grab the tools you need for the job and let’s get Mom and Dad’s photos and cameras squared away once and for all!

As you know, there are two types of photos.  The first are photo prints – basically anything that is a physical photo, whether it’s in a frame, in an album or lurking in the back of a kitchen or desk drawer.  In order to archive those photos, you’ll need to scan them and get them into a digital format so that they can be put on a computer or portable hard drive.  That’s what we’ll be dealing with in this article.  The second type of photo is a digital photo – which we help you back up and archive in another post.  

One thing that makes print photos harder to archive than other keepsakes is the simple fact that we get so used to seeing our favorite photos hanging around the house, that we don’t always think to take them off the wall and scan them for safekeeping.  

So your first task is to locate all of your parent’s physical photos.  Don’t forget to look for all the albums, photos in drawers or files and those hanging in frames on the walls or sitting on the bookshelf.   Then you’ll decide which of those photos you want to archive for safekeeping.  After that, we’ll get them scanned.  

If there are a lot of photos around the house, you’ll probably need some help dealing with all of your pictures.  Why not declare one day “scanning day”.  Invite a bunch of good friends over to help, and if you have as much fun as we think you will, next time have them bring over their own photos to scan.  Do you have kids?  That’s even better – they’ll have a great time helping.

1. Grab a pencil and paper

…and go around the house jotting down all the non-digital photos or photo collections you want to secure and their current location.

2. Gather all of the photos that you located.

Although all of your photos are important, some mean more to your parents than others.

Take a few moments to look at the photo albums, prints and framed photos and separate them into two different piles.

• In the first pile, place photos that you want to copy and save in a digital format, for safekeeping.

• In the second pile, place photos that you:

  • Already have in digital format and could easily recopy if the one you’re holding was harmed or destroyed.

  • Have numerous other copies of the photo in other locations. Check to make sure that this is actually true, before you decide not to scan them.

  • Simply don’t care enough about to keep it disaster safe.

• You can go ahead and put the photos in the second pile back where you found them.

3. Scan Away!

Take the photos in the first pile, scan each one and download it to your computer, placing them in a brand new folder. When you’re finished, make one copy of that complete folder.  Place the original folder in with the other digital photos on your computer.  Then place the copy of the folder into the backup folder you created earlier.

If you already have digital photos on your computer, save these scanned photos to a new folder within your photos folder.  For example, ScannedPrintPhotos, so you’ll know at a glance which photos are the ones you scanned.

4. Make Sure You Back Up ALL Your Photos To At Least Three Locations

Once you have finished scanning, copy that folder containing all of your photos — the digital ones and the ones you just scanned and save it with a different name, like Photo Archive Backup, with today’s date.   Place a copy of your backup folder in at least three different locations.  Here are a few suggestions of safe places to store them:

•On a flash drive or portable hard drive, and take them with you during evacuation on a key ring or in your plastic evacuation bin.

•On a flash drive or portable hard drive, in a safe deposit box or water/fireproof safe in your own city.

•On a flash drive or portable hard drive, in a safe deposit box, water/fireproof safe, or with relatives in the city where you’ll be evacuating.

•In a password-protected online file repository or on the file directory of your family’s personal web site.  This way, you can retrieve them from any Internet-enabled computer.

•You can also save an extra copy of your photos on Flickr or another internet photo service.  But this really shouldn’t be your long-term solution or only solution, since you have no control over these sites and could lose all of your data without any warning.

•If you really want to keep photos on a secure site that you can share with your family, try iMemories.com.  Not only do they have great servers with outstanding redundant backup capability, but they can even put your photos on DVD for you, providing an extra layer of safety.

If you need more help scanning your photos — or if you have delicate or color challenged photos that need a bit more attention, here are a few tips.

How To Scan Your Photos

There are several great ways to scan your photos.  Just to clarify, a scanner is different than a copy machine, because a scanner makes an exact digital copy of a photo.  It’s a world of difference from a photo copy, which is usually pretty bad.  In many cases a scan of a photo is better than the original.  And the nice thing about them is that once you scan a photo, you can save it onto your computer, share it with family and friends or use photo software to correct faded color, repair damage or otherwise restore old photographs.

Most printers available now are three or four in one printers, that scan as well as print.  You can also scan your photos with a dedicated flatbed scanner (all it does is scan).

Or you can scan your photos with a portable wand scanner, as we mentioned earlier.  Portable wand scanners, like the VuPoint Wand Scanner, have come a long way.  They run on batteries or are rechargeable and save anything you scan onto an SD card.  From there, you can download the scans/photos directly to your computer, via a USB cord, or you can pop the SD card out of the scanner and pop it into your computer to archive your scans.

The best part about having a portable wand scanner is that you can scan photos, documents, even things like marriage certificates or historical documents by swiping the scanner over it, instead of having to take all of those documents home and putting them, one at a time, through your scanner.  It’s especially good, like we said, for scanning photos at relative’s homes.  If they don’t want the photo leaving the house, just take the scanner over and scan the photos you want.   Amazingly, if you’re dealing with a fragile photo, you can even scan it right in the frame.  Or if you have delicate photos in a photo album – have you ever tried to peel photos out of an album without damaging them – you can simply open the book and sweep the scanner over the page.  Then all you have to do is open the scanned page and crop the photos apart, saving each one as a separate photo.  Photos archived, originals safeguarded!

One other scanner we wanted to mention is one that stands out among all the others in the marketplace, for color correction. It’s the Epson Perfection line of scanners, with Epson’s Easy Photo Fix software.   There are several models on Amazon.com.  Do you have any of those photos from the seventies and eighties that ended up a muddled brown-orange mess?   All you have to do is use the Auto Fix setting on the scanner and then scan your seventies photos.  The scanner corrects the color while it scans.  Truly amazing!  

If you don’t have access to a scanner, then have a relative or friend scan them for you.  Scanning is by far the cheapest and most effective way of safeguarding your important photos.  If you can’t get them scanned, go to a copy shop like Fed Ex-Kinko’s and have copies made of all your photos, using non-acid paper.  This will ensure that they will last longer and will fade less as they age.

Now that you know what you’re doing, scan all the loose prints that you want to preserve.  The higher the dpi the better the quality, so use 300 or 600 on your oldest, most treasured photos.  Then save the scans to your computer to back them up.

Have Fun Getting Your Stuff Together!

Back It Up

I don’t know about you, but the most important keepsakes in our house are our old family photos, followed closely by our home movies and music. But grabbing piles of photo albums and all your picture frames off the walls is pretty hard to do when you’re running out the door! With Back It Up, you’ll learn quick, easy steps to back up your print/digital photos, home movies, music (including vinyl & cassettes) and save them in multiple, disaster proof locations. Paperback Or Instant Download

Keep Everything You Love Safe | The Book Inspired By The Blog
Keep Everything You Love Safe, is filled with quick, easy, 5 minute steps you can take right now, to get everything that’s important to you organized, safe, sound and accessible. Each section covers a different area, from backing up and fixing family photos, home movies and music, to vital documents, medical and financial information and even getting your digital life in order. Paperback Or Instant Download

Keep The Stuff You Love Safe

How To Save Your Treasured Voice Mail Messages

How To Save Your Home Movies And Videos

How To Archive Your Digital Photos

How To Archive Your Print Photos

How To Make A Home Inventory

How To Get Your Financial Life In Order

How To Preserve Your Family History

How To Back Up Your Facebook Friends List

Turn Your Smartphone Into A Mobile Command Center

How To Backup Your Music, MP3s And Vinyl Albums

How To Access Your Money No Matter Where You Are