The ER Packet: one page, ready before you need it.
A one-page summary of medications, allergies, conditions, and emergency contacts, plus the papers you attach, to print, AirDrop, or hand to a paramedic.
What ER staff usually ask for
When a parent ends up in an emergency room, the first questions are almost always the same: What medications are they taking, and at what doses? Any allergies? Is there a code status or advance directive on file? What conditions do they have? Who is the emergency contact, and who can make decisions? What insurance do they have, and who is their regular doctor? Answering these quickly, from memory, in a hallway, is hard even for a family that knows the answers cold.
What's on FolksKeeper's one page
The ER Packet is built from the same binder you keep up to date every day: current medications (scheduled and as-needed), allergies, code status, primary conditions, emergency contacts, primary care provider, pharmacy, insurance on file, preferred hospital, and language. It also includes a short "changed in the last 7 days" section, pulled from anything flagged in the Care Log — a fall, new confusion, a poor appetite — so a paramedic or ER nurse sees what's different about this week, not just a static list.
The papers that come with it
Some papers matter as much as the summary: a POLST or advance directive, a power of attorney, insurance and Medicare cards. Every document in FolksKeeper has an Include in ER Packet switch, and those kinds start turned on. Included documents print after the summary, each on its own page — a photo fitted to the page, a scanned PDF exactly as it was scanned — and the summary lists what's attached, so nobody has to guess what's behind it.
Printing and sharing it
Open the ER Packet from the Today screen and tap Share. From there you can print it, AirDrop it to someone standing next to you, save it to Files, or send it by Messages — whatever gets it into the right hands fastest. The summary is laid out to stay on a single page, and your attached papers go along in the same file.
Keeping it current
Because the ER Packet is generated from your binder rather than typed up separately, it stays current as long as the medications, profile, and care log are current. There's no separate document to remember to update — add a new medication or flag a fall in the log, and the next ER Packet you open reflects it.
Where to find it
Tap Open on the ER Packet card on the Today screen, the first tab. The card is always there, so the page is one tap away. It fills itself in from the rest of the binder: medications from the Meds tab, and emergency contacts, primary care, and pharmacy from Contacts in the Binder tab. Attached papers come from Documents in the Binder tab, where each document has an Include in ER Packet switch.
This page is for organizing information your family already has. It isn't a medical opinion, a diagnosis, or a substitute for calling 911 in an emergency.
How FolksKeeper helps
- Pulls straight from the medication list, so you're never reading from an outdated printout.
- Surfaces care log entries flagged in the last 7 days, without anyone digging through notes.
- Prints, AirDrops, or shares in a few taps, right from the Today screen.
- Keeps the summary to one page, laid out the way a nurse would want to read it in a hurry.
- Brings the papers you choose, like a POLST or insurance cards, along as pages right behind it.
Frequently asked questions
What exactly is on the ER Packet?
A one-page summary of current medications, allergies, code status, primary conditions, emergency contacts, primary care provider, pharmacy, insurance on file, preferred hospital, language, and anything flagged in the care log during the last 7 days, followed by any documents you've attached.
Can it include a POLST, a power of attorney, or insurance cards?
Yes. In Documents, turn on Include in ER Packet for any document. Advance directives and POLST or DNR forms, powers of attorney, and insurance and Medicare cards start turned on. They print after the one-page summary, each on its own page, and the summary lists what's attached.
Can I use it somewhere other than the ER, like a specialist visit?
Yes. It's a general-purpose summary, so families often print or share it for a new doctor, a home health aide, or a hospital admission too.
Does it update automatically?
Yes. It's generated from your binder each time you open it, so it reflects your latest medications, profile, and flagged care log entries.
Is the ER Packet a substitute for calling 911 or a medical ID bracelet?
No. FolksKeeper is an organizer, not medical advice. It doesn't check interactions or diagnose anything. In an emergency, call 911 first.
Related pages
See it for yourself
FolksKeeper will be available soon on the App Store, for iPhone.
Coming soon to the App Store