Homestead Medicine - Beyond The First Aid Kit

Injuries may need more than medicine

When injuries happen around the homestead, professional medical attention is not always necessary or affordable or even available. What would you do in the event that medical help was not available when you sprained an ankle or broke a toe? It is all too common to sustain injuries that interfere with the work you need to do every day.

Homestead medicine has been used in a practical form for ages and much of it is common sense combined with a keen sense of survival and the practicality of knowing what you need to have on hand. Some of what to have on hand is medicinal – antiseptics, pain relievers, bandages, etc. But none of those medicines will improve your mobility if you can’t stand or bear weight on a foot.

Beyond the First Aid Kit

A well-stocked first aid kit along with a good manual on first aid can get you through minor cuts, contusions, and other medical conditions that might come up. Items such as arm slings for sprained wrists, arms and shoulders are easy to make from materials that you have on hand. However, a sprained ankle, pulled calf muscle or cut foot will likely require a cane, crutches, a walker or even a wheelchair to maintain your mobility.

The trick is having necessary equipment or equipment substitutes in the event of these types of injury. The injury itself is one thing. But your mobility – and the well-being of the whole homestead – is another. Non-medical issues include how will you continue to do your chores or who can do them for you? An injury can make the simplest tasks a monumental undertaking. However, being prepared with mobility-enabling tools can make things more manageable.

Getting help from others can also help you maintain some semblance of productivity. A child or loyal pet taught to fetch on command can be a great and helpful companion in the event that you are temporarily unable to get about as normal.

Non-Medical Equipment

Grabbers and reachers can help if you are unable to bend and pick up an object or to grab something over your head. They are handy tools to have around even if you aren’t injured. These are some of the simple tools that you can add to your homestead medicine inventory so they will be available in the event that you need them.

Canes or crutches are almost essential for moving around with an injured leg or foot. For some types of injury (or for long recovery times or long distances to travel) tools like walkers and wheelchairs can make a huge difference.

Other handy items to have around to aid you while you are limited in your mobility are bath seats and a bedside commode. A bath seat will enable you to bathe without needing to sit in a tub or stand in a shower. You will be more secure sitting than standing while bathing if you have a leg or foot injury.

A bedside commode will make visits to the bathroom in the middle of the night unnecessary, which can keep you from injuring yourself further.

Cost-Effective

Adding these items to your homestead medicine supplies won’t be an expensive investment because most of these items – even wheelchairs – can be found at garage sales, thrift shops and flea markets at very reasonable prices. These items are usually gently used and much less expensive than buying new. Now that you know, equip yourself with some of these non-medical aids for those mobility-limiting injuries.