How to Assemble a First Aid Kit for Seniors
As a parent, you’ll want to ensure that you provide your children with everything they need. However, as your parents begin to age, the time will come when you’ll need to assist them with certain things as well.
While some tasks will go further than what you can reasonably do for them, smaller things like assembling a first aid kit that seniors can use on their own will be much more feasible. In this article, we’ll go over the steps on how to do this for them so they can take care of themselves in the case of an injury.
Determine Their Risks
Before you start packing some supplies into a first aid box, you’ll need to determine which accidents your parents are most likely to experience. For example, if your mom or dad has a history of falling or if they have stairs in their home, you’ll need to ensure the first aid kit has supplies that can assist them in the aftermath of a fall.
Having access to items that can dress a cut or hold a broken bone in place will be essential for this type of issue. Of course, the types of supplies needed will vary depending on the problems they’re likely to encounter, the size of the first aid kit, and your budget. So, it’s best to plan for what you can feasibly treat at home.
Use a Quality Box
Once you’ve determined your parents’ needs, you’ll need to find a box that will hold everything you plan on putting into it. It needs to be big enough to hold everything but not so large that it’s difficult to stash away. Also, it needs to be well organized. If you know your parents have trouble finding smaller objects, you may want to create separate compartments in your first aid kit. Doing so will help reduce your parents’ difficulty with finding what they need.
Finally, you’ll need to make sure that your first aid kit is easy to open. Since older folks don’t have to worry about little ones running around all the time, they don’t need their first aid kits to be child-proof. If the box is too difficult to open, they won’t be able to access the things they need when they need them.
Pack it With the Essentials
Even though you should customize the items according to your parents’ needs, there are some basics that every first aid kit should have. Start with something to bandage wounds of various sizes. Just make sure you know the key difference between gauze and bandages before you include them in your kit. To supplement the bandages, you’ll want to add some antiseptic wipes, scissors, tweezers, and maybe a few pain relievers.
Find a Good Place to Store It
Once you’ve finished assembling a first aid kit for the seniors in your life, it’s time to find a good place to store it. Bathrooms are the obvious choice since many household accidents occur in there. However, the kitchen is a good spot, too, since it’s more centrally located and can also be considered an accident-prone location. If you want to be extra safe, put together a few first aid kits to spread throughout their house.
Photo – Vlada Karpovich
