It’s the midnight call that can strike terror in the hearts of so many local family caregivers. “Mom has suffered a stroke,” or “Dad accidentally overdosed on his medications.”

 A local senior care company has unveiled a new resource for those adult children who live in fear of getting “the call” that tells them their senior loved one is in trouble. Research conducted for the Home Instead Senior Care network has revealed that many grown children don’t know all they should about their older adults’ medical histories.

 That’s why Home Instead Senior Care has worked with Humana Points of Caregiving to develop a variety of resources to help families be better prepared.

 The Caring for Your Parents: Senior Emergency Kit, an information management tool, can help family caregivers keep important information at their fingertips such as their senior’s doctors, pharmacy and insurance company, medications and dosage details as well as allergies. For more information, go to www.SeniorEmergencyKit.com or call your local Home Instead Senior Care office at 985-345-3115.

 A survey of future family caregivers conducted for the Home Instead Senior Care network indicates a widespread lack of knowledge including the

fact that less than half (47 percent)

say they know about their parents’

medical histories in case of an emergency.

 “We’ve seen the turmoil that such an emergency creates, and we’ve also witnessed how much smoother it can go when families are prepared,” said Jimmy Campbell, owner of the Home Instead Senior Care office in Hammond. “This resource will provide family caregivers with the tools they need to be ready for the unexpected.”