5 Items Every Senior Should Have In A First Aid Kit

September is National Preparedness Month and it’s a great time for seniors to take a look through their first aid kits and make sure that they have all the supplies they need for an emergency. Seniors who are aging in place may have emergencies from time to time and need a fully stocked emergency first aid kit to make sure that that they are able to access the supplies they need to deal with an emergency. Home care assistance can help your senior look over their first aid kit and decide what is missing. An experienced caregiver may have suggestions for items that should be in the first aid kit that aren’t in there yet. Every first aid kit that a senior has should have:

Scissors

In an emergency it’s common to need scissors. Clothes may need to be cut to provide access to an injured area. Bandages and other materials maybe need to be cut. And seniors who fall and get caught on things may need to be cut free. The scissors in the first aid kit should be shears that will go through almost any material and not cheap individual household tools.

Vet Wrap

Vet wrap? In a human first aid kit? Yes! Vet wrap is an incredibly durable netting that sticks to itself. It’s used by vets to bandage the legs of horses and other four legged animals but vet wrap is fantastic for holding bandages in place, putting pressure on a wound, holding clothing out of the way of a wound, and many other uses. It’s always smart to have a few rolls of vet wrap in a first kit. You can get vet wrap at any pet store or country store.

Ice Packs

Ice packs and cold packs are essential when people have an injury. The first aid kit that your senior parent has should include several different cold packs and ice packs in various sizes. Your senior parent may still prefer a bag of frozen peas but if the electricity goes out they may need one of those cold packs if they get hurt or if the home care assistance provider gets hurt.

Elastic Bandages

Elastic bandages are ideal for supporting seniors when they injure an ankle, knee, wrist, or any kind limb. Elastic bandages provide support and restrict blood flow to injured extremities. Keep several different lengths and sizes of elastic bandage in the first aid kit. That way your senior loved one will have the right elastic bandage if they hurt themselves falling at home.

Antibacterial Cream

It’s a classic for a reason. Any cut or scratch should be treated with an antibacterial cream right away to prevent infection. Sometimes people overlook the antibiotic cream when they are putting together a first aid kit but it’s one of the most important items in the kit. Make sure that if your senior parent uses the cream it’s restocked so that there is always a tube of antibiotic cream in every first aid kit.

If you are considering home care assistance in Scarsdale, NY, for an aging loved one, please contact the caring staff at Touching Hearts At Home of NYC today at 212-201-6139.