When a family member in your family is diagnosed with any type of chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, or cancer, these situations are not only tough for the patient but also for the caregiver in the family that is YOU.

In such cases, the caregiver worries non-stop and think about scenarios in their mind related to bad things.

Instead of going to these extremes, it’s better to make an action plan for caring for any unfortunate incident. This will definitely help you to stay calm and be prepared for medical emergencies if any.

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Preparing for Medical Emergencies:

Your regular physician can explain the emergency care available in your community and help you and your family prepare for a medical emergency. Other things you can do to prepare for a medical emergency are:

• Always keep well-stocked first aid kits at home, in your car, and at work.
• Take classes in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and first aid.
• Post emergency numbers.
• Organize family medical information, including a history of surgeries, serious illnesses like chronic conditions such as asthma or diabetes, and hospitalizations.
• Make lists of medications or drugs with dosages taken by all family members and keep it available to take with you to the emergency department.
• Add, In Case of Emergency contact name and phone numbers to your cell phone.
• Complete medical consent forms for the family, which will allow someone to authorize medical treatment in any type of emergency situation when you’re unable to give consent.

What are the Warning Signs of a Medical Emergency?

According to the American College of Emergency Physicians, the significant warning signs of a medical emergency are as follows;

• Difficulty breathing, shortness of breath
• Chest or upper abdominal pain or pressure
• Fainting, sudden dizziness, weakness
• Difficulty speaking
• Confusion or changes in mental status
• Any sudden or severe pain
• Changes in vision
• Uncontrolled bleeding
• Severe or persistent vomiting or diarrhea
• Coughing or vomiting blood
• Suicidal or homicidal feelings
• Unusual abdominal pain

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Top 5 Tips to Be Prepared for a Medical Emergency:

1. Stay Calm:

It’s very important to remember that no matter what happens, the caregiver should always need to keep a level head. Usually, it seems that people took many bad decisions when they are under pressure and stressed. If a medical emergency happens to you or someone else around you, always remember to stay calm and focused so you can take the steps needed to solve the situation.

2. Emergency Contacts List:

Always keep a list on your phone as well as at home for people to contact in an emergency case. The list would include a telephone number of your spouse, doctors, and family members or close friends who can help at the time of emergency.

3. Medical Kit:

Always keep a well put-together first aid kit for emergency cases. The kit should include band-aids, disinfectant, tape, bandages, thermometer, cold/hot packs, allergy medication, pain medication and any other item specific to your health needs.

4. Plan Ahead:

Always make a plan for emergency cases like if an emergency held you have to take quick action and know how to contact the particular department or person. This will help you to take proper care during the health emergency. If you’re going somewhere out of the country, be aware of regional health risks and plan ahead.

Conclusion:

As we all know that medical emergencies could be held in anywhere one should always prepare for that by a simple process like keeping emergency contact numbers, first-aid kits, and the most important keep calm.

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