With an accident prone kid at your side, chances are that you not only know where your local urgent care centers are, but you take the time to scope out facilities before heading out of your community for some reason or going on vacation. You don't need anything specific to get the basic care your child needs when an unexpected accident happens, but packing a prep bag and keeping it with you while you're on the go will help make trips to the urgent care center more convenient and comfortable for everyone involved. In addition to the personal items you think you and your child can use during an urgent care visit, pack the following items in your prep bag:

Previous Paperwork

Making sure that you have all of your child's previous medical paperwork with you when showing up at an urgent care facility will help make the intake process quicker and the overall experience more convenient for you, your child, and the health care professionals you work with. This is especially helpful if you're visiting a facility that you have never been to before, but it will make the process of getting your child cared for easier at any facilities you've visited in the past as well because they'll have all the pertinent information they need at their fingertips without having to dig through files.

Buy a small file folder to keep in your prep bag and fill it with any paperwork you already have at home including immunizations, checkup reports, and x-ray files. Any time you take your child to an urgent care center or doctor, ask them for copies of any paperwork that is created during the visit so you can add it to your file.

Some Entertainment

While you may find a few magazines and a couple of toys in the waiting rooms of urgent care centers you visit, what's available may not cater to the preferences and interests of you or your child. consider bringing your own entertainment along to personalize the experience for you and your little one. Pack coloring books that feature your child's favorite cartoon characters and keep a rotating collection of rented books from the library around so you always have something new to read together. It's a good idea to pack some crossword puzzles for yourself in case you end up having to wait alone while your child is being treated.

Prepackaged Snacks

You never know when you or your child will become hungry during an urgent care visit because it's likely that the visit won't be planned, so stay prepared by packing a variety of prepackaged snacks in your prep bag. Granola bars, fruit snacks, crackers and individually wrapped hummus cups, and dried fruit are all great options. Once a month, head to the park and picnic with your little one so you can use up the leftover snacks from the prep bag and replace them with fresher options.

These tips and tricks should help make every trip to urgent care with your accident prone child a more positive and comfortable experience.  To learn more, contact a clinic like West Ocean City Injury & Illness Center

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