It’s hugely important that we all know how to approach first aid. After all, it is one of the central aspects to keeping safe and healthy, and it’s something that everyone needs to learn about as much as they can. As with all kinds of health concerns, good first aid begins in the home, so in this article we are going to take a look at some of the things you can do to improve your own first aid at home. These improvements should mean you and your family are a lot safer in the future.
Learn The Basics
Before you do anything else, you should make sure that you actually know the basics of first aid, including what you should do in various emergency situations. Easily the best way to brush up on this stuff is to go and take a course. These are generally two or three days, and it is well worth taking the time out of your schedule to learn this essential knowledge. It is much better to learn in person, as you have the opportunity to practice the methods and techniques with an instructor watching, but with covid in mind you might have to book an online course instead at the moment. Either way, it’s vital that you learn the basics.
Set Up Your First Aid Kit
All homes should have a good first aid kit. This kit should be kept in an easy to reach place, although out of the reach of children (owing to the various dangerous items, such as scissors, that they might get their hands on). It should be in an agreed spot where everyone knows where it is, and there should be a rule that it doesn’t get moved without telling everyone. You also need to make sure it has all the necessary items, including:
- Plasters in various sizes and shapes.
- Wound dressing.
- Sterile eye dressings.
- Triangular and rolled bandages.
- Safety pins.
- Sterile, disposable gloves.
- Tweezers and scissors.
- Cleansing wipes.
- Thermometer.
- Antiseptic cream.
- Painkillers.
- Antihistamine.
You might have various other items in there too, but these are the essentials that you should aim for. Make sure that you replace items as you use them, and that you take a regular inventory of your first aid kit to make sure you still have it all. You might also want to have more than one kit in the house.
Practice Runs
If you really want to make sure that your family is prepared for a medical emergency, you might want to carry out practice runs. You only have to do this every now and then, but it is possible that it might save a life in the long run, so it’s worth doing.
Finally, always remember the importance of knowing when to call the ambulance. Ideally, you should make sure that the professionals deal with any serious incidents that might occur. First aid is merely meant to keep the person going until the paramedics arrive.
If you can do all that, you are going to have much better first aid in the home.
