Are you prepared for a surprise trip to the hospital? You probably want to be. If you were incapacitated, you’d want your family to have some idea of what your wishes were, if they had to make any decisions on your behalf. More to the point, you’d want them to know what medications you were taking and to be aware of your medical history, so that they could make sure your doctors and nurses knew too.

UMR’s Healthy You magazine has put together an article on how to be ready for an unexpected hospitalization. Among other things, they recommend having “medical documents and information organized and available” to your spouse or another family member designated to speak for you to healthcare providers. Essential information to give them includes a list of the prescription and over-the-counter meds you’re taking, a list of your allergies (if any), and copies of legal documents such as a living will, power of attorney, or healthcare proxy.