Editor’s Note: This post was contributed by Saqib. If you have information for Preppers that you would like to share and possibly win a $300 Amazon Gift Card to purchase your own prepping supplies, enter today.
Having a child with special needs calls for extra effort and care. You are required to learn a lot, practice an incredible amount of patience and get to know the comfort level of your young one. These are testing times but it is your own loved one at the other corner. It is about being prepared and having your things sorted out well in advance of need and also adequate quantities enough to last. You can just not go haphazardly with these things because it is someone’s life that is right there in your hands.
Imagine having someone around with one or more disorders that include being non-verbal, delayed development, epilepsy prone, and an ever-growing diet. In a situation where everything is going down the tubes, there is hope. The amazing and joyful personalities these young ones are inspiring. The fact is that these guys are fighters — surviving more in his short life than most people have to in a lifetime.
So prepping for a child with special needs requires some serious thought, and some creativity. Read the following article, for some tips.
Inventory of Needs
It all starts with some good observation. It is not always that your young one will be speaking telling you what they need, he may not even know what he needs. Hence, it is recommended that you observe. Make a list of things that you consider are essential and can bring comfort. You can have a paper list and stick it on your refrigerator or save one on your mobile or tablet. This can include,
- Routine Medicines
- First Aid Box
- Additional Clothing / Accessories (including diapers, wipes, gloves, wheelchair, stander, walker, etc.)
- Medical Supplies (feeding tube supplies, bags, catheters, etc.)
- Food Supplements
Communication
There is nothing better than communicating and learning about your child’s needs alongside with making him understand what is good and what is bad and sharing your prepping plans with them. This talking exercise also helps us understand how much the child is grasping, and sometimes that is more than our expectations. The subjects of these talks can be as ordinary as fire escape plans, our family meeting place, why we’re stockpiling certain things, and everything else one can think of. This is crucial. Sometimes simply explaining to the child which floor he lives on and how injurious it could become if he or she jumps out of a window.
Advanced Preparation Saves a Lot
Let’s say you are living in a high-rise building or probably somewhere in open, and are prone to fire or earthquakes. At a time when disaster strikes you can be or cannot be prepared for the emergency. And if you are:
Prepare for the Most Likely Event First
I live in the middle of nowhere surrounded by miles of timber in every direction. Wildfire is the most likely event I should prep for. The odds of having a fire come through my land are greater than other natural disasters.
What event is most likely in your area? If you haven’t yet started getting prepared, prep for that event first. Think through it in your mind, and start gathering what you’ll need.
Start by getting a 3-day supply built up of all your loved one’s essentials. You can look at this like a special bug out bag specifically catered to the needs of your child. It’s a baby step, but an important one.
Medical equipment is heavy. It’s bulky. And it certainly doesn’t move quietly through the woods. Depending on your child’s mobility, leaving home might be very difficult if not impossible.
When you’re making plans for a crisis, you might find it makes more sense to stay put. That way you don’t have to leave all of your equipment and medical stockpiles behind. If we don’t absolutely have to leave the farm, we’re planning on staying here.
Storing the Right Things
It is not about just stock piling everything that you get your hand on. It is about stock piling the right things and making sure that your supplies are always refilled, and machines re-calibrated. There are ways that you can stockpile the medications your child needs. This again involves keeping a track of history and making a list. Make sure that when you are stock piling there are no expired medications in your cupboard. An essential to stock are baby wipes. These are very much-needed and at times running short of these can cause real-time havoc.
Learn Alternatives to Medication
Before you can think about replacing a medication, you have to know what it does. Ensure that you know the purpose behind every drug your loved one takes. You can see if there are over-the-counter medications that might work in a pinch as an alternative.
When you can no longer pick up medications, take an inventory of everything you have and see how many doses that is. Then, work backwards to slowly cut the doses down. That way instead of going from a full dose to nothing when you run out, you already have a plan in place for stepping off the med.
Author Bio: Saqib Khan, is an inquisitive blogger and loves to spread his knowledge. With a penchant for medical innovations and developments, Saqib’s new field of interest is herbal medicines. He is currently associated with top online medical pharmacy in Pakistan offering variety of Pathological & Herbal Medicines such as cough medicine, pain killers, diabetes medicine, baby wipes & Flu Medicine online in Pakistan.