Just as families in many homes must be prepared for sickness, fire and other unexpected occurrences, you must also be prepared for accidents and medical emergencies. Each emergency is very different and requires a unique response. You should begin learning about these emergencies so that you are better prepared to react and protect your family. Family emergency preparedness is an important issue in the home. The following passage provides basic information you need to keep about your family’s health record so that you can be prepared to handle medical situations and other threats during an emergency.
The most important step to start with in preparation is planning. Planning ahead of time is very critical because most of the time, disaster strikes when least expected. Below are a few things you can do to prepare.
The key is discussing with your family members and looking at the types of emergencies most likely to happen in your family and what role each member in the family can play. Planning how you will contact each other when not together is especially crucial. A disaster may strike when some family members are away at the time.
Equally important in planning is to make sure that you keep some needed supplies ready for emergencies; first aid supplies, prescription medications, sanitary supplies and special items for family members with special needs.
Also, learning more about the types of emergencies and how your family’s medical condition may be affected is very important. Read up on key terms such as burns, food poisoning, wounds, cuts and other types of injuries. You can find this information at your local library, health center, on the internet and by watching health related TV programs.
Getting involved in community planning efforts can also be very helpful, especially in family related emergency seminars. In addition, always be alert during an emergency by using resources with emergence messages and important safety instructions from government authorities or other approved authorities.
It is also very important that you include a picture id of each family member on their health records file. You may also want to provide information about current medications, allergies, age and weight of children in an easily accessible place somewhere in your home. Training a family member in CPR and First Aid has also proved to be helpful.