One type of emergency is a sudden illness in the home. This does not have to be a serious illness. It can be as simple as a bout with a stomach bug, or a really bad cold. When you or a family member is feeling just rotten, it is important to have the proper supplies on hand. When you are planning for emergency food storage or preparedness, it is important to remember to have these supplies on hand as well.
1) You will want to have foods that are easy to eat, and easy on the stomach available for your family members. My favorite is chicken noodle soup. However, my husband prefers chicken with rice, so I make sure to have both of those on hand at all times.
2) It is important for family members to stay hydrated whether it is a cold or a stomach bug. If it is a cold you can drink anything that you want, but if it is a stomach bug you should probably stay away from juices. If you have a young child try to keep some Pedialyte or another brand of electrolyte drink available. I like to have Sprite or Coke and the Gatorade powder on hand.
3) If your children are anything like mine, they will likely lose some weight while they are sick. My daughter lost four pounds in one week when she had the croup last winter. She is thin as it is, and it was quite alarming to see that weight slip off of her. You will need to have nutritious snacks on hand that your children will enjoy eating. If it is not a stomach bug, you can have a variety of snacks available for you child to eat through out the day.
4) It is nice to have some comfort items available for your child. It may a book that you only bring out when they are sick or a special stuffed animal. When I was a child, my mother would always lay a towel over my pillow, so that I wouldn’t ruin the pillow. I will still lay a towel on pillow when I don’t feel well. I am in no danger of ruining the pillow, but the terry cloth is comforting to me.
5) Another important thing to have on hand is ibuprofen or acetaminophen on hand. This should be in the correct form for each member of your family. Currently in our house we have infants’, children’s and adults’ forms of each of these medicines.
You can gather most of these items and store them in one specific cupboard in your kitchen, although I would make sure to keep the medication out of the reach of children. That way when a crisis arrives you will be ready. You will not need to run to the store at three in the morning, because you have prepared to meet this small emergency head on.