In an emergency, having what you need when you need it can prevent further injury and infection. It is especially important to have first-aid supplies for older adults since they are more susceptible to injury and infection and take longer to recover. Whether you have a home first-aid kit, or still need to get one, review the suggested tips and tricks below to make sure you have what you need.
What Should Be in a Home First-Aid Kit?
Before filling up your home first-aid kit, you will want to consider the following:
- Use a kit that has wheels as it may become heavy with supplies
- Label your kit with your contact information
- Place your kit in an easily accessible location
A premade first-aid kit can be purchased at many locations (i.e. CVS, Walgreens, The American Red Cross) or you can build your own. Either way, these are the items that your first-aid kit should contain:
- Band-Aids, gauze, tape, ace bandages, cotton balls, and cotton swabs
- Tweezers, scissors, safety pins, and needles
- Plastic bags for trash and disposable items
- Antiseptic ointment and wipes, antibiotics, hand sanitizer, lotion
- Gloves, a thermometer, eye goggles
- Cold pack, thermal patches, blanket
- List of medication(s) along with dosage and schedule
- Flashlight and extra batteries
- Phone numbers of emergency contacts, doctors, pharmacy, poison control
- Blood pressure monitor (if applicable)
- Pain reliever, fever reducer, antihistamine, anti-diarrheal
The list above will not cover every type of emergency but should help in many situations. You should keep the kit somewhere easily accessible. Having a kit in the car will also give you comfort when you are on the road. Don’t hesitate to add to this list and include items that are particularly important for you and your aging loved one. Remember to review your kit every six months to check for expired medicine and batteries and to replace or add anything new. Get yourself prepared today for the unexpected tomorrow.