Questions for Your Sick Day Plan

Your sick day plan should tell you when to call your care team. Ask when to reach out during an illness.

Then ask how to reach them after hours, when the office is closed. Asking now is like checking a map before you leave. Write down each phone number and message option.

The best time to ask is while you feel well.

Some signs mean you call your care team. Other signs mean emergency care right away.

Emergency care means calling 911 or going to the emergency room, called the ER. Fruity breath, deep fast breathing and extreme drowsiness can be DKA signs. They need 911 or the ER.

Ask your team to sort each sign into one of the two groups.

Illness often changes your routine, so ask how yours should shift. Ask how to handle meals and drinks when you cannot eat much. Ask whether anyone at home should be trained to help.

A bedside table under a wall clock. Fluids shows a glass and a bottle of water. Check more shows a meter and a notepad, with ticks every few hours on the clock. Eat small shows crackers and soup. Call shows a phone, with four hours shaded on the clock.

Key takeaways

• Know when to call your team and how to reach them after hours.
• Some signs need a phone call, and others need 911 or the ER right away.
• Ask about your routine, meals, drinks and helpers at home.

Try it

Before your next visit, write one question for each part of this list, starting with the after-hours number.