Putting Together A Home First Aid Kit
Emergencies can happen anytime and anywhere, so being prepared for one is important for you and your family - always have a well-stocked first aid kit in your home for emergency situations.
Not long ago while I was up at Skylands, my home in Maine, I cut my finger opening a package - nothing major, but I could not find the proper supplies anywhere in my house to care for my wound. I decided it was crucial to re-stock all the necessary first aid items and make sure every one of my properties had two first aid kits. My personal executive assistant, Shqipe Lulanaj, took on this task right away. Along with the guidance of my physician and friend, Dr. Albert Knapp, and the experts at my local pharmacy, Weinstein's, she created six portable kits filled with all the basic medical tools and supplies needed for any small emergency.
This weekend may be a good time to assess all your first-aid supplies - enjoy these photos.
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- Before placing everything in a box, Shqipe collected all the supplies. We worked on this for quite some time to get just the right items together. Dr. Knapp and our friends at Weinstein’s Pharmacy in Katonah, also gave us their input. Of course, ready-made first-aid kits are available for purchase, but it is just as easy to create your own to fit your family’s personal needs.
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- The first step was to remove bottles from any bulky cardboard boxes and organize everything according to size and type of supply or medicine.
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- Once we had everything, we found simple, easy-to-carry, water-resistant, flexible plastic containers with latch-top lids. I decided to make six well-stocked kits – two for Bedford, two for Maine and two for my home in East Hampton.
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- Shqipe also got smaller containers to organize individually sized alcohol pads, and small adhesive bandages.
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- There are many first aid storage options depending on the size needed. Unused lunch boxes are another solution. As long as the container is roomy, easily-accessible, portable, and somewhat water resistant, it can make a good first aid kit container. Clear plastic containers allow you to see everything that is in the box.
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- Shqipe places several alcohol wipes in the container. Alcohol wipes are used to help prevent infections and to clean wounds, scrapes and cuts.
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- Hemostatic agents are designed to promote rapid blood coagulation in the event of a traumatic wound involving an arterial bleed. These are very important to have, especially around a working farm.
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- Shqipe places a generous amount of adhesive bandages in a variety of sizes into the boxes.
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- We also made sure to include sting relief wipes as well as butterfly closures, which are applied across small lacerations to pull the skin on either side of the wound together.
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- Another important item is a large bottle of eye wash to flush out the eyes when necessary.
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- Burn gel dressing is also important for soothing and dressing any accidental burns and scalds.
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- Small kits containing scissors, clamps and tweezers are good to have on hand for removing thorns and splinters, cutting gauze, and grasping small objects.
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- Do you know, gauze was originally made of silk and used for clothing? Now it is typically made of cotton and used as an important medical dressing for wounds where other fabrics might stick to the burn or laceration.
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- Shqipe makes sure to place everything neatly into each box – there is a lot to fit.
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- I also wanted to have thermometers in the kit. These digital thermometers are easy to find at any pharmacy.
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- New-Skin provides antiseptic treatment for hard-to-cover cuts, wounds, and scrapes. Liquid bandages dry quickly and form protective waterproof barriers to keep out dirt and germs while letting skin breathe.
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- If there is anyone in your family that has severe allergies, be sure to always have an epipen. An epinephrine autoinjector is a medical device for injecting a measured dose of epinephrine to prevent or treat anaphylaxis.
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- Every first aid kit should have first aid ointment such as Neosporin. This contains a combination of antibiotics used to treat certain types of bacterial infections, burns, minor cuts, and wounds.
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- And every first aid kit should be equipped with at least one elastic bandage – a stretchable bandage commonly used for muscle sprains and strains. These bandages help reduce swelling at the place of injury.
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- There is still a lot of room in our kits. We also included Calamine Lotion and hydrocortisone cream for mild itchiness caused by insect bites, poison ivy, or other skin irritants, cotton balls and swabs, hand sanitizer, iodine and disposable gloves. Also good to have – instant cold compresses, and ziplock bags to dispose of any medical waste.
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- Shqipe also created a list of all the items in the kit. It is important that anyone reaching for the kit knows immediately what it includes and does not include, and that items are ready-to-use.
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- One laminated list is placed in the front of each box. And if needed, you can also include first aid instruction booklets, available from the American Red Cross, for guidance and reference.
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- These boxes are easy to open and close, but if there are small children in the house, be sure to get boxes that have safety closures.
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- Large labels are printed for each box with bright red lettering for visibility. I will establish a clearly-defined, consistent spot for these first aid kits in each home.
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- The labels are printed on full sheets and then custom cut to fit the dimensions of the box cover. Once a first aid kit is complete, be sure to keep track of supply amounts and expiration dates regularly.
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- Here are the six boxes ready for each home. I am glad to have this very important chore complete. What important items do you store in your home first aid kits? Share your comments with me in the section below.
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