Home medical devices checklist: what each household needs

Building a set of home medical devices is not about buying lots of gadgets. It is about owning the few that suit the people you live with, keeping them where you can find them and knowing how to use them. The checklist below is grouped by how essential each item is and by household type, so you neither overbuy nor miss something important when you need it.

The basics every home should have

• A digital thermometer: the first thing to buy. Underarm models are cheap, reliable and work for everyone.
• A first aid kit: sterile gauze, roller bandages, medical tape, plasters, scissors, tweezers and gloves.
• A lidded storage box kept somewhere dry and out of children's reach.

Older adults at home: add a blood pressure monitor

An upper-arm blood pressure monitor makes regular tracking easy on the schedule a doctor sets. Choose one with a large screen, voice readout and the right cuff size. A fingertip pulse oximeter is worth adding to check oxygen levels and pulse when an older relative has a breathing condition or is unwell. See which blood pressure monitor to buy.

Young children at home: infrared thermometer and nasal aspirator

Alongside an underarm thermometer, an infrared thermometer for the forehead or ear lets you check quickly while a child sleeps. A nasal aspirator, saline drops and cooling patches are things many parents keep ready. If a doctor prescribes nebulised treatment, you will need a nebulizer with a child-size mask; only use the solution on the prescription.

If someone monitors blood sugar: meter and strips

People whose doctor has asked them to test their own blood sugar need a glucose meter, matching test strips, single-use lancets and a logbook. Strips are the ongoing cost, so pick a brand whose strips are easy to buy. A home meter does not replace lab tests.

Quick table of home medical devices by household

Storing and checking your devices

A device that has been sitting in a hot drawer for two years may not give accurate readings, so a little care goes a long way.

• Keep devices in their cases somewhere dry and out of sunlight; remove batteries if unused for long periods.
• Wipe thermometer probes with alcohol after each use.
• Check expiry dates on gauze, test strips and antiseptic every six months.
• Keep manuals and warranty cards together in one place.

What you can skip for now

Many families buy a full set of devices that then sit in a cupboard. If nobody at home needs to check their blood sugar, you do not need a glucose meter yet. Only buy a nebulizer when a doctor prescribes nebulised treatment. Body composition scales are convenient, but their fat and muscle figures are estimates. Start with the basics, learn to use them properly, and add devices when there is a real need or when a doctor asks you to monitor at home. That way your money goes to equipment that actually gets used.

Where to keep your devices

Choose one drawer or one box for all your medical devices, somewhere dry and away from the kitchen and bathroom, because heat and humidity damage both electronics and test strips. Every adult in the home should know where it is. Tape a list of key phone numbers, such as emergency services (115 in Vietnam) and your family doctor, inside the lid. Check the box every few months so that batteries, plasters and gauze are ready when you need them, rather than discovering an empty kit at night.

Not sure which device to start with? Try the home health device finder, or browse thermometers and pulse oximeters on sale now, ranked by an independent score.