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Senior Alert
Seniors May Benefit Most from New Red Cross Training
on CPR, Cardiac Help
April 4, 2006 – Senior citizens – who most often
are around other older people, who are the most likely to need CPR, the
aid of a defibrillator or emergency cardiovascular care – should
consider taking advantage of the newly revised training programs and
materials new being implemented by the American Red Cross for these
emergencies. It could save the life of your spouse, your best friend or
your neighbor.
The new training programs are for all first aid,
cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), automated external defibrillation (AED)
and emergency cardiovascular care (ECC) courses. Those willing to be
trained will find simplified and flexible courses, with more stimulating
teaching techniques, says the Red Cross in a news release.
Senior citizens involved in athletic and fitness
programs for seniors may be among the top of the list of those who can
benefit from the training.
One new teaching technique that the Red Cross will
be using is the "practice-while-you-watch" method of instruction, which
helps to make training more engaging.
Participants utilizing the First Aid/CPR/AED for
the Workplace and the First Aid/CPR/AED for Schools and Communities
materials will learn their CPR skills while practicing along with a
video.
This method not only allows the classroom
instructor more time to provide individual feedback, it also provides
the participants a more uniform and fully engaging learning experience.
The revamped courses come after the latest review
and evaluation of scientific research on injury and care. Every five
years health and safety experts from around the world meet with the goal
of determining if any new discoveries affect the way first aid and
emergency care are delivered.
The result of the research and deliberation was the
"2005 International Consensus on CPR" and "ECC Treatment with
Recommendations (CoSTR)" document.
After analyzing the "CoSTR" document, related
articles, studies and other scientific evidence, the American Red Cross
Advisory Council on First Aid and Safety (ACFAS) -- an independent panel
of nationally recognized health and safety experts -- along with the
participation of the Red Cross Research and Product Development Team,
produced the "American Red Cross 2005 Guidelines for Emergency Care and
Education."
And, in a unique collaboration with the American
Heart Association, the "2005 Guidelines for First Aid" was created.
Highlights of the skills changes, as a result of
the new data, include: for CPR, students will now be instructed to
perform cycles of 30 chest compressions and two breaths; and to aid a
conscious choking victim, utilize a series of five back blows and five
abdominal thrusts.
Whether recertifying skills or taking courses for
the first time, students will find the new courses are equipped with the
most updated and accurate science on delivering care, the organization
boosts.
"The hard work the Red Cross and ACFAS have done in
regards to incorporating this important new science into our training
means we will continue to be the standard for health and safety in the
nation," said Scott Conner, vice president Red Cross Products and Health
and Safety Services. "The goal of our approach is to make training more
engaging and eliminate some of the barriers to getting people trained
and certified."
The American Red Cross says it encourages everyone
to be trained and certified in first aid and CPR/AED. Receiving training
through a certified instructor helps to ensure that you have the proper
knowledge and skills to respond in the event of an emergency, according
to Conner.
For more information:
★
Find Your Local Red Cross Chapter
★
Learn More About Red Cross Training
The American Red Cross is where people mobilize to
help their neighbors -- across the street, across the country and across
the world -- in emergencies. Each year, in communities large and small,
victims of some 70,000 disasters turn to neighbors familiar and new --
the nearly 1 million volunteers and 35,000 employees of the Red Cross.
Through more than 800 locally supported chapters,
more than 15 million people gain the skills they need to prepare for and
respond to emergencies in their homes, communities and world. Some 4
million people give blood -- the gift of life -- through the Red Cross,
making it the largest supplier of blood and blood products in the United
States.
The Red Cross helps thousands of U.S. service
members separated from their families by military duty stay connected.
As part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, a
global network of more than 180 national societies, the Red Cross helps
restore hope and dignity to the world's most vulnerable people. An
average of 91 cents of every dollar the Red Cross spends is invested in
humanitarian services and programs. The Red Cross is not a government
agency; it relies on donations of time, money, and blood to do its work.
American Red Cross website:
http://www.redcross.org/
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