Preparing for medical emergencies at home

You may not want to consider what you would do if there were a medical emergency at home. Nobody likes to think about themselves or a loved one needing medical attention. However, being prepared for the worst can put your mind at ease and make it easier to cope if something happens. There are several ways to be ready.

Know what is nearby

If you find yourself needing urgent medical attention, or a friend or family does, it can be difficult for you and them to remain calm. So, knowing what help is nearby is a good start. You can try searching online for urgent care near me on websites such as Relief Seeker, where local help is available. This is based on a range of symptoms and health conditions, whether you need to find a walk-in center or someone to visit you at home. The information makes it easy to find the price, establish which accept your insurance, and what (if anything) they specialize in. Making sure you have either the list or the most local and suitable options saved in your phone’s bookmarks will mean you can quickly access the details when you need them. 

Have necessary supplies at home

Depending on the severity of your medical emergency, having a fully stocked first aid kit and any other medical supplies you’re most likely to need may be enough to deal with the problem, at least until help can arrive. For example, if you or a family member have diabetes, ensure you have quick access to insulin or medication. Or if you’re waiting longer than expected for an ambulance, the contents in the first aid kit might help until further assistance arrives.

Learn what you can

Having a fully stocked first aid kit or the right medication to treat a family member’s health condition is important, but you could make things worse if you don’t know how to use what you have. By taking first-aid classes and learning more about the health conditions relevant to you and your family, you’ll be better equipped to help in an emergency. Knowing how to treat a potentially fatal wound until help arrives, or how to deal with a person with diabetes whose blood sugar is either too high or too low is essential if you want to help rather than risk making the problem worse. Or if you have a family member who has epilepsy, it’s likely that at some point, they will have a seizure when you’re around. Knowing what to do for them when that happens is the best way to be prepared and avoid panic. 

Have a bag and a contact list

If you have to go to the hospital, having an emergency bag already packed will make it easier to ensure you have everything you need. Itwould include nightwear, a change of clothes (including clean underwear), a spare phone charger if you need to contact people, any crucial documents or I.D you might need to ensure you get the treatment you need. You may need these documents and I.D for other reasons, so having them in your emergency bag all the time might not be possible. However, keep them in a draw together, where it is easy to grab them and put them into the bag. Ideally, you should have a suitable emergency bag for every member of your household. You should also have any regular medication you need, or at least a list of anything you might need or take regularly, so you’re not given anything that might have harmful side effects.

Have a plan to let the rest of your family know

In case you or another family member have to seek medical attention, having a regular place such as on the fridge door where you leave messages for each other is a good idea. It will allow you to let the rest of your family know what has happened if you don’t get time to call them. You should have an emergency contact or a list of people who need to be told, along with their contact numbers. Ideally, this should be in the emergency bag, or in a bag you use every day, which is likely to be with you. You’ll probably be distracted. Handing over the numbers to someone who can call on your behalf is the best option. 

Once you’ve prepared yourself for a medical emergency at home, you can worry less and know that if anything does happen, you’ll be as prepared as possible.