Why every elderly person needs a geriatric emergency kit at home

As more seniors live alone, doctors recommend keeping a geriatric healthcare kit with essentials like glucometers, oximeters, and glucose gels to manage emergencies such as low sugar, hypoxia, and high fever before reaching a hospital.

Hyderabad: With the Indian family structure shifting from joint families to nuclear setups, more seniors are finding themselves alone or with a single caregiver. It is imperative for elders staying alone to be prepared for all kinds of health emergencies.

One such tool that holds immense promise during medical exigencies is a Geriatrics Healthcare Kit that can act like a vital bridge between the home and a hospital’s Casualty or Emergency department.

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“Usually, every household has a first-aid kit. However, geriatrics emergency kits are meant for sudden drops in blood pressure, sugar fluctuations, or silent hypoxia. The idea is that senior citizens are able to apply temporary medical solutions on their own before visiting a bigger healthcare facility,” says Dr Akhila Reddy Regatte, senior endocrinologist at Advanced Medical Care (AMC) Hospitals, Hyderabad.

A geriatric health kit should have life-saving essentials like a glucometer and glucose gels, in case of hypoglycemia or low sugar. In case of low sugar, senior citizens can directly consume 15 gms of glucose gels, wait for 15 minutes, and then check sugar levels again. If it is still low, then they have to repeat the same thing, Dr Akhila said.

A pulse oximeter is another smart addition in the geriatric health kit, as it is usually considered a ‘smoke detector’ for lungs and heart. It essentially helps to measure how much oxygen is in lungs and how fast the heart is beating. If oximeter reading is between 92 per cent and 93 per cent, it is time to call your doctor.

Dr Akhila also urged senior citizens to stock up on rectal suppositories, also known as fever bullets. During bouts of high fever, seniors might struggle to swallow a tablet or may suffer from vomiting, making oral medication ineffective.

Care givers or senior citizens can gently insert the suppository into the rectum while they lie on their side. In 15 minutes, the medicine melts and gets absorbed. This is the best way to control fever, as the rectal area has a dense network of blood vessels. The medicine gets absorbed quickly and enters the bloodstream quickly, Dr Akhila explains.

What does a geriatric health kit have?

• Glucometer to measure sugar levels
• Readymade glucose gels or powders to consume when sugar is low
• Cold packs, pain-killing gels for joint pains
• Cold packs to keep on foreheads during high temperatures
• Rectal suppositories for immediate control of high fever
• Folder containing senior citizen’s entire medical history for first responders
• ORS hydration packets for heat exhaustion and stomach upset
• Pulse oximeters, BP monitors, 15 gm glucose gels