First aid responses

In the run up to publication of Carers and Caring; the One Stop Guide; how to care for older relatives and friends I blogging about the practical solutions learned from research and experience. You can email me, and I’ll make sure any other issues are covered in the next edition and online on my website at www.juneandrews.net. 

First aid responses. The time to know about first aid is long before the emergency takes place. 

The most common accident is a fall. When someone falls you may have the urge to get them back up on their feet quickly. First check if they are conscious, and if not call for help (999) and start CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) if you know how to do it. If you don’t, the call handler will talk you through it. It’s not for me to tell you here. 

After a fall, if they are conscious

If they are conscious and responding to you, try to get them to talk by asking questions about how they are. This helps you work out if they’ve perhaps had a stroke or a fit, which would also alert you to call for help. Don’t move them if they are injured. Stop any bleeding with some pressure on a pad. Serious signs would be trouble breathing, a headache, sudden sleepiness and bruises that get larger and more painful.

If there is nothing obviously or seriously wrong they might be able to get themselves back up, for example if you bring a chair over for them to pull themselves up on. They can roll over on to hands and knees and get up slowly. If they are heavy and unable to get up alone, don’t try to help because you might hurt yourself and that helps no one. Keep them warm with a blanket and cushions and call for an ambulance. Some ambulance services will lend a device to help get a person off the floor, which means they don’t get frequent calls from the same household. They will probably refer you to a falls prevention service. Sometimes they take the person to hospital, but not always. You can also sign up for a free falls prevention course at ROSPA.

Seizures 

An older person may experience a seizure for the first time. Dial 999 if it is the first seizure, if it lasts longer than five minutes, if another seizure starts straight after the first, if breathing is difficult after the seizure stops, or if they are injured. The person may have convulsions, a fall, a blackout, may wander or lose the ability to speak. Sometimes the older person just slumps over on their seat, appearing unconscious and apparently losing bladder control. Ease them into the recovery position and turn them to one side so any fluids drain away from the mouth. Don’t hold them down or put anything in their mouth. 

Later, if you are living with an older person with seizures who has other medical problems, check with the doctor about how they want you to respond when a seizure happens. Ask whether or when you should call an ambulance and if there are any special warning signals that you should be on the lookout for. Checking the time and the length of the seizure and keeping a note is useful so that you can pass on this information.

There is training about this on the website of the Epilepsy Society www.epilepsysociety.org.uk

There is much more about first aid emergency responses including choking in  Carers and Caring: The One-Stop Guide: How to care for older relatives and friends - with tips for managing finances and accessing the right support  available from all good bookshops in May 2022

Three hints:

1.     Take any training on offer

2.     Don’t hurt yourself while caring for someone on the floor

3.     Check out the issues with doctors afterwards, even if things look OK