Home hospital is a collection of supplies and information that can be used to treat non emergency events in or out of your home. In some extreme cases where emergency services are not available these supplies and information could be critical in preventing further injury. The supplies you gather for you home hospital will depend on: how much money you want to invest, the size and make up of your family, what health problems exist in your family and what medications are needed for chronic health problems.
Recommended supplies needed for a family of 4 by the American Red Cross are:
2 absorbent compress dressings (5 x 9 inches)
25 adhesive bandages (assorted sizes)
1 adhesive cloth tape (10 yards x 1 inch)
5 antibiotic ointment packets (approximately 1 gram)
5 antiseptic wipe packets
2 packets of aspirin (81 mg each)
1 blanket (space blanket)
1 breathing barrier (with one-way valve)
1 instant cold compress
2 pair of non-latex gloves (size: large) (I just buy a box of them and keep them on hand)
2 hydrocortisone ointment packets (approximately 1 gram each)
Scissors
1 roller bandage (3 inches wide)
1 roller bandage (4 inches wide)
5 sterile gauze pads (3 x 3 inches)
5 sterile gauze pads (4 x 4 inches)
Oral thermometer (non-mercury/non-glass)
2 triangular bandages
Tweezers
First aid instruction booklet
Most of these items can be purchased at a drug store. Some may need to be replaced periodically to maintain their effectiveness. Those items that need replacing will have an expiration date on them. Pull them from your first aid kit and either use them or discard them.
More information at
www.redcross.org American Redcross
www.nlm.gov/medicineplus National Institutes of
health
www.cdc.gov/ncipc National center for Injury
Prevention and Control
www.nsc.org National Safety Council
www.cpr-savers.com First Aid supplies
https://www.lds.org/topics/pef-self-reliance?lang=eng&old=true