Emergencies happen whether you expect them or not. Creating an emergency plan and preparing for these situations can help you and your loved ones feel better faster.
Identify potential risks and emergency contacts
Taking the surprise out of emergency situations can make them less scary and easier to handle. Take the following actions to identify potential emergency situations:
- Consider high-risk activities, such as sports and extreme hobbies, that could result in serious injury.
- Know your triggers for serious allergic reactions and asthma exacerbations.
- Talk with your primary care physician about medical issues you may be at high-risk for due to underlying health conditions.
Identify your preferred emergency contacts or those individuals you want to be notified in an emergency. These are people you would like to be contacted or trust to make crucial decisions on your behalf. Common emergency contacts are family members, close friends, and healthcare providers.
Stock up on standard medical supplies and create communication plans
Ensure your home is equipped to handle a medical emergency can help decrease the time it takes to start providing initial treatment. You always want to have a first aid kit stocked with sterile gauze, bandages, adhesive tape, and other essential supplies available. You can supplement your first aid kit with the following:
- Thermometer
- Anti-inflammatories
- Antihistamines
- Decongestants
- Electrolyte powders
- Antibiotic ointment
- Tweezers
- Gloves
- Eye wash
A communication plan can be created to notify your friends and family about the emergency. These plans should list emergency contacts and other people you want contacted if a medical emergency occurs. You can create one plan for your entire family or have separate plans for each person. Each person should keep a physical copy of this plan with them, and a second copy should be kept at home. Make sure all contact information is updated regularly.
Identify the closest emergency rooms
When an emergency happens, the last thing you want to waste time on is figuring out where to go. When preparing for an emergency, it’s wise to identify the closest emergency room to your home and other places you frequently visit. You can use a website such as Google Maps to locate emergency rooms in your area. When you’ve found your preferred emergency rooms, note their name, location, and phone number. We recommend saving this information in a phone contact phone titled “Emergency Room-Home”, “Emergency Room-Work”, or “Emergency Room-School” to easily find in an emergency.
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