Quick Summary:

Caregivers need the right medical supplies to provide the best possible care. This blog covers various categories of medical products caregivers can review to build their own supply checklist for their loved one.

Introduction

Setting up home care for a loved one can be overwhelming, and you may have many questions. Where do I start? What products do I need? This comprehensive checklist covers common medical supplies you may use while caring for your loved one.

Only some categories in this blog may apply to your loved one's care. The right supply checklist depends on your loved one's health, mobility, daily lifestyle, and their established care plan.

 

Personal Care and Hygiene

Maintaining your loved one's hygiene is essential to their health and may require more than the standard toiletries. Some personal care and hygiene products recommended for caregiving are:

  • Disposable washcloths
  • Liquid body wash
  • Shampoo and conditioner
  • Moisturizing body lotion
  • Wash basins
  • Handheld shower head

Vitality Medical's standout picks:

  • Aquaphor Healing Ointment
  • Medline ReadyBath Fresh Standard-Weight Bathing Cloths
  • AloeVesta Body Wash and Shampoo
  • Medline FitRight Aloe Personal Cleansing Cloth Wipes
  • DMI Hair Washing Bed Basin Tray
  • Deluxe Handheld Shower Sprayer with Diverter Valve

 

Maintaining a clean environment is just as essential as keeping up with your loved one's hygiene. A clean environment and consistent infection control protect both you and your loved one. Common cleaning and personal protection supplies include:

  • Disposable gloves
  • Antibacterial soap
  • Cleaning wipes
  • Personal protective equipment (PPE)

 

Vitality Medical's standout picks:

  • Advance IF40 Nitrile Examination Gloves, Blue - 4 mil (Powder Free)
  • PDI Super Sani-Cloth Germicidal Wipes
  • Guoyan KN95 Face Masks
  • Alcare Plus Foam Hand Sanitizer

 

Incontinence and Toileting

If your loved one experiences incontinence and/or limited mobility, they may need help with toileting or changing incontinence products. Some of the most common incontinence products you may need include:

  • Protective underwear
  • Adult briefs (pull-up or tab-style)
  • Cleansing wipes
  • Disposable or reusable incontinence briefs
  • Barrier products and skin cleansers
  • Bedside toileting equipment
  • Underpads

 

Vitality Medical's standout picks

  • Tranquility Air-Plus Hi-Rise Bariatric Disposable Briefs
  • Tranquility Premium DayTime Underwear
  • AMiNA Reusable Underpad
  • Nexwear Incontinence Pads
  • Sani-Pant Lite Waterproof CoverUp Washable Brief
  • Coloplast Foam No-Rinse Body Wash, Shampoo, and Incontinence Cleanser
  • PROCare Adult Cleansing Cloths
  • Medline Elements Bedside Commode with Microban
  • Medline Fracture Bedpans
  • Medline Supreme Portable Urinal
  • Calmoseptine Ointment

 

Mobility and Transfer Equipment

Many individuals who need home care may have limited mobility and need help navigating the home. There are many types of aids for those with limited mobility, including:

  • Grab bars
  • Non-slip socks or slippers with grippy soles
  • Bed rails
  • Nightlights
  • Long-handled reacher/grabber tools
  • Wheelchairs and transport chairs
  • Walking and standing canes
  • Transfer aids
  • Walkers
  • Rollators
  • Mobility scooters
  • Gait belts
  • Patient lifts

 

Vitality Medical's standout picks:

  • Medline Two-Button Folding Walker
  • Nova Silver Folding Walker with 5 Inch Wheels
  • AMiNA Folding Carbon Fiber Rollator Walker
  • Drive Medical Offset Cane with Adjustable Height and Gel Hand Grip
  • Medline Lightweight Transport Folding Wheelchair
  • Drive Medical Silver Sport 2 Wheelchair

 

Bathroom Safety Equipment

The bathroom is one of the more dangerous places in the home for an individual with low mobility. There are various products designed to help improve safety in the bathroom, including:

  • Shower chairs or stools
  • Shower/bathtub grab bars
  • Non-slip mats in tub/shower and on bathroom floor
  • Shower chair/bath bench
  • Raised toilet seat or toilet safety frame
  • Commode chair

 

Vitality Medical's standout picks:

  • Drive Medical Stand-Alone Toilet Safety Rail
  • Lunderg Solva Raised Toilet Seat with Arms for Elongated and Round Toilets
  • Aquatec Ocean Ergo Shower and Commode Chair
  • Eagle Health Sliding Transfer Bench with Swivel Seat
  • Drive Medical Chrome Knurled Grab Bar

 

Wound Care and Skin Protection

Small injuries can become serious for those recovering from surgery or living with chronic medical conditions (such as diabetes). For more advanced care, you may need wound care supplies beyond basic first aid. Some supplies you may want to have on hand include:

  • Sterile wound dressings
  • Gauze
  • Adhesive strip bandages
  • Wound cleansing products
  • First aid kits
  • Antiseptic solutions

 

Vitality Medical's standout picks:

  • McKesson Isopropyl Alcohol Prep Pads
  • Medline 4 x 4 Inch Woven Gauze Sponge
  • Medline TheraHoney Wound Gel
  • 3M Cavilon No Sting Barrier Film
  • McKesson Fabric Strip Adhesive Bandages
  • Uni-Solve Adhesive Remover
  • Medline Sterile Prep Pads 70% Isopropyl Alcohol

 

Medication Administration

Your loved one may need multiple medications, which requires careful attention to doses and schedules. You may also need to store medicine in a safe place that only you can reach. Some medication administration and management products include:

  • Weekly/daily pill organizer
  • Over-the-counter medicines in a designated location
  • Setting medication reminders
  • Medication lock box
  • Oral syringes
  • Sharps containers
  • Medication cups

 

Vitality Medical's standout picks:

 

Home Monitoring

Care for your loved one may require regular monitoring, especially for those with diabetes, hypertension, and more. Regularly monitoring for potential health changes can help you identify certain patterns you can share with your loved one's doctor and care team.

Monitoring your loved one can depend on their health needs, but monitoring products you may need include:

  • Thermometers
  • Pulse oximeters
  • Blood pressure monitors (automatic or manual)
  • Blood pressure cuffs
  • Glucose monitors
  • Lancets
  • Diabetic test strips

 

Vitality Medical's standout picks:

  • Home Automatic Digital Blood Pressure Monitor and Wide Cuff
  • HealthSmart 60-Second Clinically Accurate Digital Thermometer
  • McKesson Finger Pulse Oximeter
  • Nellcor Handheld Pulse Oximeter
  • Dexcom G7 Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) System
  • McKesson Lancets, Push-Button Style

 

Respiratory and Other Medical Equipment

Some medical conditions, including respiratory conditions, may require specialized equipment. Products you may need for respiratory support include:

  • Compressor nebulizers
  • Oxygen concentrator (stationary or portable)
  • Nasal cannulas
  • Suction devices
  • Oxygen tubing
  • Oxygen masks
  • Filters

 

Vitality Medical's standout picks:

 

Nutrition and Feeding Aids

Your loved one may need unique support for their nutrition. They may even need specialized products for eating and drinking. Nutritional medical supplies and feeding products may include:

  • Non-slip placemat
  • Adaptive utensils
  • Plates or bowls with a suction cup base
  • Specialized drinking cups
  • Enteral feeding pumps
  • Enteral feeding sets
  • Food/beverage thickeners

 

Vitality Medical's standout picks:

  • StayPut Non-Slip Placemats and Coasters
  • Good Grips Weighted Utensils
  • North Coast Medical Scooper Plate with Suction Cup Base
  • Thick & Easy Ready to Use Puree Bowls
  • Nestle BOOST VHC Very High Calorie Nutritional Drink
  • Kangaroo OMNI Enteral Feeding Pump

 

Building the Final Home Care Checklist

Every person and their healthcare needs are different, so it is important to have the right home care medical supplies on hand to care for your loved one. Consult with your loved one's doctor and care team to understand their care plan. When you are consulting with their doctor, learn the answers to the following questions:

  • What medical conditions does my loved one have?
  • What are the day-to-day needs of their medical condition(s)?
  • What kind of medical equipment do they need?
  • How would you describe their mobility level?
  • What complications should I watch for? What should I do if I see signs of complications?
  • What medicines do they need? What time of day (or night) should I administer medications?
  • Are there any specialized skills I need to learn to assist my loved one?

 

When building your medical supply checklist, consider the following tips:

  • Review each category of medical supplies listed in this blog. Only include products that will match the care plan of your loved one.
  • Separate products that will be used daily from ones that will be used less often.
  • Note sizes, quantities, brand names, model or part numbers if needed for more convenient reordering in the future.
  • Review your supply checklist with your loved one's doctor and care team.

 

Conclusion

The right medical supply list should match the needs of your loved one and their medical conditions. If you are looking for high-quality medical supplies from trusted brands to add to your supply checklist, Vitality Medical has those supplies available for sale. Shop to complete your list today!

Footnotes