Be ready for the unexpected.

• Position: Emergency Care - Family guidelines - Brief Article

When it comes to your health and the health of your family, it is essential to be ready for the unexpected. Emergencies can happen anytime or anywhere. That's why the Council on Family Health (CFH) is providing the public with some basic tips on how to be better prepared in an emergency.

CFH's tip sheet, "Put Your Family's Health First: Always Be Prepared," outlines some simple ways to be prepared for unexpected emergencies. Keeping a first aid kit in your home and car and making sure you have needed medicines on hand are important first steps. The tip sheet includes a list of things to have in your family health first aid kits, including appropriate health care items and some helpful resources like a first aid handbook and emergency telephone numbers. The sheet also includes a list of basic medications to have inside of your medicine cabinet as well as information concerning how to store them.

"You can never predict when an emergency might arise, but you can be prepared to handle those emergencies by having ready some simple items and information," CFH president Robert G. Donovan emphasizes. The organization offers 10 suggestions to help families cope:

* Maintain a first aid kit in your home and car.

* If you or a family member has a chronic or life-threatening condition, wear an identification bracelet with detailed medical information about it.

* Keep at least a day's supply of medicine with you when out of the house, in case you are unable to get home for an extended period of time.

* If you receive medications through a mail order pharmacy, have a back-up local pharmacy to use if shipments are late or quick availability is affected. You may need to order medicines at...