Where to keep the kit
Many people keep their medical kit in the bathroom cabinet, but bathrooms can be damp and subject to pronounced changes in temperature. This may effect the strength and durability of some medications.

What to keep in the kit
The most common family ailments are cuts and grazes, splinters, headaches, coughs, indigestion, sunburn, insect bites and stomach upsets. All these can be treated from the basic medical kit which follows. By adding a few extras, you can also deal with toothache, temporary constipation, diarrhoea, strained muscles and travel sickness.

Basic Contents
Adhesive plaster strips
Rolls of various widths, for securing or applying dressings.

Antiseptic cream
Use on cuts and grazes and cover with a dressing. Do not apply cream to burns and scalds.

Antiseptic lotion
For cleaning wounds.

Bandages
Also used to protect lint dressings. A roll of crepe bandage is useful for awkward shapes such as hands and feet.

Calamine lotion
For insect bites, bee and wasp stings, nettlerash and sunburn.

Pain relieving tablets
Soluble aspirin and paracetamol gives relieve.

Scissors
Blunt-ended, for cutting bandages and dressings.

Thermometer
To protect against possible breakage this is best kept in a metal or plastic tube.

Tweezers
Square-ended, for removing splinters or thorns.

Cotton wool
Can be used for cleaning wounds.

Milk of magnesia
For relieving constipation and heartburn.

Travel sickness tablets
Take about 30 minutes before starting a journey, or as directed.

Do's and don'ts of home nursing

There are six basic principles to follow in home nursing

• Do encourage the sick person to be as independent as possible, and to perform those tasks of which he is capable---such as washing. Too much fussy care can destroy the patient's sense of initiative, and delay or even prevent a return to normal life.
• Do help to preserve the patient's dignity and self-esteem, for example, by ensuring that he is well-groomed and that his clothes and bedclothes are changed as soon as they become soiled.
• Do watch the patient's progress. Record pulse, temperature and respiration rates, and the times at which they were taken. Call the doctor immediately if the condition worsens or recovery seems to be delayed.
• Do make sure that the treatment prescribed by the doctor is carried out.
• Do take time to show love and affection for the patient.
• Do not do anything to make the patient more anxious or nervous than he is already.