The coming fall always gets me started thinking about being prepared for emergencies. Perhaps it is because of bad weather that could take out the power or cause flooding or evacuation, or maybe it is because of the feeling of snuggling into the home with everything you need and not going out in the cold.
Whatever it is, I find myself reviewing the essentials, and one of those essentials is the first aid box.
Here is a list of items that you should have available in your home. Make sure your kit is well marked and that other members know where to find it, although you should keep it out of reach of small children. Another thing to check is that items, especially medicines, are fresh and not expired, leaking or falling apart.
Alcohol Wipes
I recently discovered these things, and I absolutely love them. You can open a packet and use one to clean and disinfect tweezers, scissors, thermometers or other equipment. You can also use them if someone is feeling faint or nauseous, by allowing the person to hold one near (but not touching) his or her nose. Find alcohol wipes near the diabetic supplies section of your local pharmacy. They even have ones that smell like lavender, although I prefer using the regular kind.
Bandages
We all think of bandages for a first aid kit, but which ones exactly should you have? I usually like to have a large box of assorted “band-aids,” an additional regular size box of the most frequently used size, and a box of extra large bandages. This pretty much covers everything (we’ll get it other wrappings later).
Blanket
While you may not want to put a blanket in your actual first aid kit because of its size, you should have one ready and nearby. A blanket is very useful to help prevent heat loss in the case of shock or large burns. Make sure that this blanket is clean and with as little lint or piling as possible.
Check back tomorrow for part 2!
Related Articles: