“For every minute spent organizing, an hour is earned.” ~ Benjamin Franklin
Organizing anything can be time consuming. Think of your kitchen pantry, clothes closet, or garage – those are day long projects that take some commitment to get into order. Now think of all your formula, meds, and medical equipment. Are you overwhelmed yet? Do not fear!
Whether getting organized is difficult because you aren’t a spacial/visual person or it just isn’t your cup of tea, it is one thing that you can do now, that will make your future self so happy more efficient! This post will show you tips, pictures, and ideas with how to store your medical supplies and ensure you know exactly where everything is. No matter the size of your space, or how much medical supplies you have, this post will help you become inspired to create and organize everything.
I have categorized (dare I say organized) the following organizational tips by:
- In the Car
- In the Home
- Thrifty Ways to Organize
- Organizing Your Routine
In the Car and on the Go
Even on a short drive, it helps to be prepare for anything and have some extra supplies on hand. One car-friendly way to do that is with a cosmetic bag. The cosmetic bag doubles as an emergency bag for changing any tubes, and keeping spare tubes, saline, gauze, wipes, and other supplies on hand.
Benefits:
- Super Stylish
- Affordable
- Great for any size car
- Fits around the back of the head rest or on a seat
- Surprisingly Spacious
In the Home: Bins and Baskets and Tubs, Oh My!
Those three words are saving graces for anyone, no matter if you or your child has a feeding tube. By having bins, containers, baskets, or anything else that will organize and hold all of your medical supplies, it helps you stay relaxed if there was any emergency or chaos because you will know exactly where everything is. Image: no rummaging through things to frantically find what you need.
My friend has willingly let me share her crazy detailed organizational bins for all of her tube supplies. Her advice: “always buy more containers than you need!”
Labeling is also a crucial step when it comes to organizing because you want know what is in each basket and for others to be able to navigate it. You don’t need to buy an expensive label maker to be organized. You can simply by labels from any store with office supplies and use a write the content of each container with a bold marker (just make sure it’s easy to read).
Thrifty Ways to Organize (and Save $$$)
You do not always need to spend a lot of money to be organized, because organization comes from remaining calm in times or stress or need, and assuring that you and your children are as prepared as possible.
Recently I have come across families using shoe organizers as ways to store their medical supplies, which is amazing to me because in college, I used it to hold all my snacks in my dorm room! The shoe organizer is wide and long enough to hold a vast amount of supplies, takes up little space, and is easy to clean with a Clorox wipe.
The best part about using a shoe organizer is that it is relatively inexpensive, and can be found at your local Walmart or retail store. Many of these organizers also have zippered pouches on the sides so you can store medications or syringes, and can easily be kept out of reach from wandering hands!
Other DIY ways to save money on bins for organization include:
- Cut the tops off your Amazon and DME delivery boxes
- Use tissue boxes (square or rectangle ones) for smaller supplies.
- Find extra tuberware containers in the kitchen (yes we all have “that” cabinet)
- Plastic 2 oz cups (think what you might get a dipping sauce in for a meal) are great for tiny supplies.
Organizing Your Routine
Organizing the space around you can help make life easier but sometime unfortunately sometimes our brains need a little organizing as well. Simply having a board, chart, or calendar can help manage all of the information that is swirling around in your head and get it in one place. This can provide relief by knowing that all of the important contacts and medical information are all in one place for you and for others that might need the information!
This is great example of a board that anyone can access to see provider names/contact, therapy schedule, DME info, feeds, and medication.
Try a process and see how it work for you and your family. If you don’t like it, try something else.
No matter how your organize and label your supplies, it’s beneficial to you and your family because it allows you to remain calm in any chaotic situation, or just be able to easily reach and grab a spare tube or syringe at ease! Overstocking of supplies and emergency equipment is important to make sure you always have multiple spares and never run out of supplies in times of need! Feel free to send us your organization tips and tricks, and how you have organized your feeding supplies.
If your interested in working with a Registered Dietitian, contact me today to set up an appointment!
The Tube Feed Dietitian 