Learning Your Neighborhood Before an Emergency, Part 1

You just moved.

You started your new job.

You're super busy unpacking and getting settled.

You get sick in the evening or on a Saturday and need to see a doctor.

This scenario is quite common. Getting unpacked into your new home, getting kids situated in their new schools and you learning the best routes through traffic to get to your new dream job on time can set you up for unexpected emergencies.

Furthermore, you’ve been so busy at work and getting settled at home, trying out new restaurants and seeing local sights that you haven’t even looked at your medical insurance paperwork, found a doctor, or located the nearest hospital or urgent care.

Here is our guide for locating the necessary things before they’re needed:

Medical Emergencies

• Pick a couple of hours to dedicate to finding the nearest urgent care (for minor crises), hospital emergency room (for major crises), twenty-four-hour pharmacies (for late-night medical needs), and map the best routes for getting to them from your home. You can search your favorite online maps, Yelp, or sites dedicated to the medical profession such as ZocDoc (which even offers a filter by your medical insurance).
  
• Now, locate and map routes from your place of employment and each of your children’s schools and activities. You may find that the urgent care facility near your children’s schools is different from the one you would go to nearest your home, so note which is which on your list.
  
• Don’t forget to find an emergency dentist. Sometimes, a knocked-out or broken tooth can be saved by a dentist specializing in emergency dental procedures. If tooth pain wakes you in the middle of the night, you may not be able to wait for an appointment with your regular dentist either. An emergency dentist can get you some relief.
  
• Once you’ve located the potential facilities, add their telephone number and address to your contacts, or create a portable document and place it in an accessible location. For digital access, think GoogleDocs, DropBox, Box, SugarSync or another file-sharing cloud server that has an app for your smartphone. Give a copy to each member of the family of driving age.
  
• Finally, plan to locate the actual facilities as you run general errands, while shopping, or coming and going from work or school. Specifically, take time to locate the emergency or late-night entrances so that you do not lose precious time during an emergency trying to locate the emergency driveway or entrance.
  
• For your furry friends, locate a 24-hour pet hospital or clinic or a veterinarian that makes house calls.
  
• Good to know: If you believe your child or pet has ingested something poisonous, the American Association of Poison Control Centers’ number is 800.222.1222. Put it in your phone. Post it on your refrigerator. Teach it to your babysitters and pet-minders.

If you need assistance locating reputable service personnel or have other questions about your neighborhood, your real estate professional can guide you.