The Brighter Blog
Emergency First Aid Kit
by A Brighter Childhood on 05/08/13
Do you have everything you need in your Emergency First Aid Kit in case of emergency?
All of our foster parents here at A Brighter Childhood are required to have an Emergency First Aid Kit in the foster home. Not only is it essential for the safety of the foster youths, but also for all members of the household. Some of our foster parents have two First Aid Kits in the home: one for emergency use only, and one for daily use to be replenished regularly.
Licensing regulations for foster homes require that:
The facility is equipped with first aid supplies (sterile first aid dressing, bandage, adhesive tapes, scissors, tweezers, thermometer, antiseptic solution) and current first aid manual approved by the Red Cross, American Medical Association, or a State or federal health agency. 80075(e)(1)
Here is a more detailed recommendation of first aid items to have in your Emergency First Aid Kit according to Medic First Aid:
- Disposable latex gloves (consider the need for latex-free)
- Disposable barrier for rescue breathing (mask or shield)
- Sterile dressings (5”x 9”)
- Roller bandage 3”
- First aid shears (heavy-duty, angled safety scissors)
- Adhesive tape 1”
- Small bag or box to store and protect items from damage
Medic First Aid also thinks that you may find the following items useful in addition to those above. These items have expiration dates and should be checked on a regular basis.
- Sterile eye wash kit or sterile saline
- Instant cold packs
- Waterless hand cleaner
The following items are recommended to be included in a separate first aid kit that can help manage minor wounds and injuries that often occur in everyday life. The creation of a kit like this will help make sure your emergency kit is ready and available when a life-threatening event occurs. Be sure to check this kit on a regular basis to replenish used items.
- Disposable latex gloves (consider the need for latex-free)
- Disposable barrier for rescue breathing (mask or shield)
- Sterile dressings (5”x 9”)
- Roller bandage 3”
- First aid shears (heavy-duty, angled safety scissors)
- Adhesive tape 1/2”
- Elastic Bandage
- Various Adhesive Bandages – small, large, extra-large, knuckle, fingertip
- Tweezers
- Convenient storage container to store and protect items from damage
- Antiseptic wound wipes
- Sterile eye wash kit or sterile saline
- Instant cold packs
- Waterless hand cleaner
Foster Care Medication Regulations
by A Brighter Childhood on 05/02/13
Thank you ABC foster parents, for attending our training this week on CCL (Community Care Licensing) Medication Regulations. Here are the important points to remember in your foster home:
- OTC stands for Over The Counter medication.
- Medication must be stored locked and secured.
- All medication must be stored in a properly labeled container from the pharmacy. A daily pill organizer is unacceptable.
- The pharmacist will label more than one container upon request.
- The court order for medication authorization is JV 220.
- If you fail to give Youth the medication on time and the accurate dosage for the day, continue to give the accurate dosage as scheduled next time.
- Medication Logs are to be completed at the time of giving the medication.
- When Youth refuses to take the medication as prescribed, record the refusal and inform Agency Social Worker.
Please feel free to use the "Contact Us" button to the right if you have any questions or need more information about the CCL Medication Regulations.
April CPR & First Aid Class
by A Brighter Childhood on 05/01/13
This past Saturday, at A Brighter Childhood’s office, we hosted a CPR & First Aid class. Some of our employees renewed their certifications side by side with both first time and veteran foster parents. I found the information extremely helpful and now feel prepared and confident to assist in the event of an emergency, which is essential in the foster care industry.
Nan Baker is an excellent instructor and made the class fun with all of the hands on scenarios. At one point one of our Social Workers had to lie on the ground and pretend to be an eight-year-old child in a life threatening situation. In hindsight it is funny to think about, but in the moment the trainees were on high alert to activate EMS (Emergency Medical Services) and be effective First Aid Providers.
The Medic First Aid coursework was thorough and comprehensive; We highly recommend using Nan Baker to teach the official Pediatric Plus First Aid/CPR/AED certification course.
Here are some highlights of what the class covered:
- Recognizing an Emergency and Deciding to Help
- Emergency Action Plans
- Sudden Cardiac Arrest in Infant, Child, or Adult
- Performing CPR on Infant, Child, or Adult
- Warning Signs of Heart Attack and Stroke
- Basic AED (Automated External Defibrillator) Operation
- Choking in Infant, Child, or Adult
- Primary and Secondary Assessments
- Control of Bleeding
- Managing Shock
- Head, Neck, or Back Injury
- Burns, Major and Minor Injuries
- Sudden Illness and Diabetic Emergencies
- Seizures
- Severe Allergic Reactions, Difficulty Breathing, and Asthma
- Poisoning, Bites, and Stings
- Heat Exhaustion and Stroke
- Hypothermia and Frostbite
Check back for Emergency First Aid Kit information and Emergency Action Plans. We are also going to post more detailed information for suggestions of what to do in specific Emergency situations.
New Website Announcement!
by A Brighter Childhood on 04/24/13
Here at A Brighter Childhood we are pleased to announce the launch of our new website: www.ABrighterChildhood.org. The mission of the site is to provide information about our organization to the public, promote awareness about our foster care services, and encourage the greater Sacramento region/community to get involved therefore inspiring brighter futures for our youths.
We provide foster services for a large range of youths from infants up to non-minor dependents (AB12). It is our priority to provide a safe enriching environment for our youths. Our goal with this blog is to regularly update our community with new safety information and enrichment ideas.
Please take a moment to look around and familiarize yourself with our site. Our Resources and Calendar sections will be updated regularly, so please check back often for current information. Thanks for reading!
