Every home should have first aid essentials on hand should an emergency occur. Whether you have young children or elderly family members in your home, or you simply want to be prepared for any eventuality, having a home first aid kit is a must.
But what do you need to include in your home first aid kit? Can you get everything you need in one of those premade first aid kits, or do you need to put one together yourself? Let’s look at what you should have in your home first aid kit.
What Should You Have in Home Your First Aid Kit?
There’s a subtle difference between what needs to be in your home first aid kit and what would be nice to have. With that in mind, let’s start with the essentials.
Here’s what you need to have in your home first aid kit:
- Assorted waterproof plasters
- Absorbent dressings
- Roll of microporous tape
- Tweezers
- Scissors
- Antiseptic wipes
- Hydrocortisone cream
- Skin closure strips
- Paracetamol tablets (and liquid for children, if applicable)
- Crepe bandage
- Triangular bandage (to make a sling)
- Blister plasters
- A thermometer
These pieces of equipment can either fix a minor scrape or help stabilise a more severe injury until help arrives.
That said, some extras would cover more of the bases concerning first aid, and it’s also worth considering investing in these items.
Extra Supplies to Consider Adding to Your Home First Aid Kit
If you want to go the extra mile, here are some additional items you can add to your home first aid kit:
- Antihistamines
- Anti-diarrhoea medication
- Rehydration salts
- Eyewash sachets
- Burn gels
- Foil blanket (if you intend to take the first aid kit with you on holiday or outdoor adventures)
While some of these items have readymade replacements at home, it can be useful to have them on hand just in case. For example, if your home first aid kit is for taking with you when you travel, then including an eye wash sachet may come in handy should you get dust or grit in your eyes.
How to Put Your Home First Aid Kit Together
It’s always better to put together a first aid kit yourself. Firstly, premade first aid kits often sorely lack the most used items, particularly plasters, while giving you a mountain of other first aid supplies you’ll likely never need.
Secondly, making it yourself allows you to tailor it to your specific needs. For instance, if you’re going on a camping trip, you could ensure that your home first aid kit contains insect repellent and sting relief items. If you’ve got young children, then copious amounts of plasters (in all shapes and sizes) are a must.
Whatever your needs, when you make up your own first aid kit, you can be sure that you’ve got everything you need and nothing you don’t. Putting together a home first aid kit is relatively simple, and once you’ve gathered all the supplies you need, it won’t take long to do. All you need is a sealable box to store everything in, like a kid’s lunchbox, and that’s it.
Consider First Aid Training to Learn How to Use Everything in Your Home First Aid Kit
If you feel you wouldn’t know how to bandage a wound, make a sling for a sprain, or use any other equipment in your home first aid kit, then don’t panic.
There are plenty of first aid courses available that will teach you everything you need to know about using a home first aid kit. Once you’ve completed one of these courses, you’ll be able to rest easy, knowing that you can handle any eventuality.
At TL Training, we offer a range of first aid training courses for individuals from all walks of life. Whether you’re a new parent, a carer for an elderly relative, or you simply want to be prepared – our courses will give you the skills and confidence you need to deal with an emergency until help arrives.
Get in touch with us today to learn more about our home first aid training courses, or feel free to browse our range of first aid training courses.
