Health and Safety Training

Is your loved one a little wobbly on her feet these days?  Eyesight and hearing just not what it used to be?  Does joint pain make it difficult for her to open containers and turn door knobs?  Is your loved one starting to show signs of senility?  Then it is time to elder proof your home!  

 Falls are the leading cause of injury related deaths among the elderly.

Here are some simple steps to help you make sure that your loved one is safe in her own home.

• Remove rugs and runners that do not have a slip resistant backing or purchase non-slip rubber matting from your local hardware store to place under all rugs, runners and mats.
• Are there electrical cords stretched across the walkway?  Time to rearrange the furniture to make sure that lamps, telephones, and appliances are safely plugged into outlets without needing to stretch their cords.  
• Time to remove all clutter!  Piles of magazines, boxes, and unnecessary furniture greatly increase your loved one’s chances of tripping.  
• Check out the home’s lighting.  Open curtains and blinds where possible to allow for natural lighting.  Install light bulbs of the highest watt allowed for each light fixture.  Install inexpensive night lights in each room.  
• Install non-skid mats and textured strips in the bathroom shower/tub.  Install grab bars too!  Make sure that the hot water heater is set below 120*F to prevent burns.
• Purchase a high quality, stable step stool that has handrails to prevent your loved one from using a chair, box, or other makeshift device to reach out of the way objects.
• Post emergency numbers in a very large, easy to read font by all telephones in the home.
• Make sure that all medications are clearly labeled and are not expired!  Throw away all expired medications.  Remind your loved one to keep all medications in one easy to locate location in a container that can accommodate multiple prescription bottles.  Your loved one should bring her medications with her in their original containers to doctor appointments and any emergency room visit if at all possible.  If that is not practical, carefully type a list of all medications.  Be sure to include the following:

Name of medication exactly as it appears on the bottle

Dose of medication

Number of times the medication is to be taken each day 

How many hours between doses

Route of medication (is it taken orally?  rubbed on the skin?  rectal suppository?  injection?)

Prescribing doctor

Expiration date

• Make sure that all small appliances (toasters, hair dryers, etc.) are all in proper working order without frayed electric cords.  Replace any frayed electric cords immediately!
• Check out devices that will make your loved one’s tasks easier.  There are many assistive devices available to make turning knobs, opening containers, and picking up small objects much easier.
• Is your loved one having a hard time hearing the phone?  Check out equipment that will make it easier for her to know that you are trying to call!
• Purchase an alert system that your loved one can wear at all times in the event of a fall, medical emergency, or accident.
• Develop an emergency plan with your loved one that can be implemented if an emergency occurs.  Post the emergency plan in easy to read, large font next to each telephone in the house and on the refrigerator.  Review the plan on a regular basis with your loved one and any caregivers who are assisting her.  

Tags: elder proofing, fall prevention, safety for elderly, senior living at home, senior safety

You’ve researched breeds and visited the Central Florida area animal shelters looking for the perfect pet for your family.  Shiny new food bowls are waiting to be filled, you’ve bought one of everything from your local pet store’s toy department, and you’ve researched all of the best pet food options out there!  What’s left to do before you finally get to bring your new pet home for the first time?

Add one more category to that to-do list; take a Pet First Aid and CPR class!  Accidents are going to happen and illness often strikes without warning.  In just a blink of an eye, Fido or Fluffy could be hit by a car, receive an electric shock after chewing on an electric cord, or get into a nasty fight with another animal.  Learning what to do before an emergency happens will help you keep your cool and help you get your new pet safely through a crisis.

Here are some ways to get ready:

1.  Buy or make a first aid kit so that you always have the essentials on hand.  Here are some basic contents you should pack inside:

• Pet ID information
• Phone number for your vet
• leash
• muzzle
• roller gauze
• sterile gauze pads
• adhesive tape
• elastic bandage roll
• triangular bandages
• cotton swabs
• tongue depressor
• tweezers
• antibiotic ointment
• saline solution
• vinyl gloves
• irrigation syringe
• medicine dropper
• Pepto-Bismal
• Benadryl tablet
• ice pack
• space blanket
• Pet CPR barrier mask
• hand sanitizer
• toilet paper tube (makes a great splint!)
• activated charcoal
• hydrogen peroxide

2.  Buy a Pet First Aid manual and read it thoroughly before there is an emergency.  Familiarize yourself with the layout of the book so that you’ll be able to rapidly find the information you need in a hurry.

3.  Take a Pet First Aid and CPR class with a certified instructor.  Health and Safety Training offers Pet First Aid and CPR classes and includes a comprehensive Pet First Aid manual.  Not in the central Florida/Orlando area?  You can order study materials and a Pet First Aid manual and have them delivered anywhere in the United States!  

Contact Lisa Holt, RN, MS to schedule a class today or to have your study materials and First Aid manual delivered!

Tags: bringing a new pet home, buying a new pet, cat, Central Florida CPR, Central Florida First Aid, CPR, dog, First Aid, Louise's Animal Connection, natural pet food stores, new pet, orlando cpr classes, Orlando First Aid Classes, Pet CPR, pet emergencies, Pet First Aid, pet first aid kit, pet first aid manual, Raw food diet, The Pet Pantry, whole food diets for pets

Tags: CPR/AED classes, independent study cpr class, learning cpr, online cpr class, orlando area CPR classes for health care professionals, orlando cpr class, orlando cpr classes, orlando group cpr classes

Health and Safety Training is excited to announce that we are now able to offer daily CPR classes in the Orlando area starting July 7, 2008!

Click on the links for more detailed information about our Orlando area CPR classes!

CPR classes for healthcare professionals

CPR classes for non-healthcare professionals

Spanish CPR classes are also available at our E. Orlando location.

Your class, your way.  Pick the class you want, pick the date you want, pick the time you want (between 9 am - 3pm daily), pick the method of instruction you want.  You really can have it all!

Tags: central Florida cpr classes, cpr classes, cpr classes healthcare professionals, orlando cpr classes

Think twice before handing your child a lit sparkler this 4th of July!   This year take your family out to a public firework display - it is a much safer alternative to lighting fireworks at home.

Fireworks are dangerous!

The National Council on Fireworks Safety reports that nearly 10,000 people each year are treated for injuries related to at-home fireworks.  45-50% of those injured are children.

NEVER allow a child to play or light fireworks - even sparklers!  Sparklers get very hot:  over 1800*F! That is hot enough to melt gold.  You would never hand your child a lit blow torch - don’t hand him a sparkler!  Six states have already banned all consumer fireworks, including sparklers.  More states are soon to follow.

Never use homemade or illegal fireworks - their use accounts for 30-35% of all firework related injuries!

Tags: 4th of July, Altamonte Springs fireworks, alternative fireworks, at home fireworks, central Florida public displays of fireworks, Disney fireworks, firework safety, fireworks, Independence Day, Orlando fireworks, pets and fireworks, public displays of fireworks, Sanford fireworks, sparklers

This article just came in from the American Safety and Health Institute:

National CPR and AED Awareness Week
-----------------------------------
June 1-7, 2008 will mark the first National CPR and AED Awareness Week
with the goal of encouraging states, cities and towns to establish
organized programs that provide CPR and AED training and increase
public access to AEDs.

Congress has declared the first week of June each year as National CPR
and AED Awareness Week. The bill, which was introduced by
Representatives Randy Kuhl (R-NY) and Dan Boren (D-OK) and Senators
Susan Collins (R-ME) and Russ Feingold (D-WI), passed by unanimous
consent before the end of the congressional session in December 2007.

National CPR and AED Awareness Week will help shine a light on sudden
cardiac arrest (SCA). It is estimated that at least 164,000 Americans
experience SCA outside of a hospital each year and more than 95
percent of them die before reaching the hospital. But studies show
that quick application of proper CPR and defibrillation can make a
difference and save lives. In cities where defibrillation is provided
within five to seven minutes, the survival rate from sudden cardiac
arrest is as high as 49 percent.

“Establishing a National CPR and AED Awareness Week is an essential
step toward ensuring communities across the country are able to
properly respond if tragedy strikes,” Sen. Feingold said.  “The more
we can do to educate our communities on how to conduct CPR and operate
AEDs, the more lives we can save.”

“This legislation will help Americans save lives at the community
level,” said Rep. Kuhl. “If you suffer sudden cardiac arrest outside
of a hospital, you have a five percent chance of survival.   It
doesn’t have to be that way.  If we can train more Americans in
performing CPR and using AEDs, we can save more lives.”

The passing of the National CPR and AED Awareness resolution will help
the major training organizations to accomplish their shared vision of
having all Americans to be within four minutes of an AED device and
someone trained to use it.  Scientific studies show that for every
minute defibrillation is delayed, there is an approximate 10 percent
decrease in the likelihood of resuscitation.

Tags: AED, CPR, CPR and AED Awareness Week

Keeping it Safe This Summer

Summer is here and you are eagerly planning your first pool party of the season. The decorations are up, the pool chemicals are perfect, the potato salad has been prepared and you have found the perfect bathing suit. The kids can’t wait for their friends to join them for games of Marco Polo and splashing big sister. You are ready! Or are you?

Whether you plan to spend long, lazy afternoons at the pool or to travel with the family on a dream vacation, dealing with accidents and emergencies is probably the furthest thing from your mind. When it comes to safety, it is always best to be prepared.

Summer fun can be interrupted in a second with a sunburn, a skinned knee or worse. Here are some quick tips to help you get prepared to have a safe summer:

Take a CPR and a Basic First Aid class. Even if you’ve taken one before, studies show that your skills become rusty after a year has passed. If you are a pool owner, it is especially important to make sure that you would be able to perform CPR in case of a drowning emergency. Taking a class will ensure that you can react calmly and quickly in an emergency when seconds count.

Check out your first aid kit and buy a Basic First Aid manual. If you don’t have a first aid kit, buy or make one! If you do have one, make sure that you have replaced any used supplies. You may want to consider having multiple kits. It is a good idea to have a kit for your car, diaper bag, pool, and house.

Establish and enforce pool rules. Post your rules on a piece of poster board go over them with everyone who is going to be near the pool. Make sure that everyone understands the rules by asking each swimmer to restate them to you. Always designate a responsible, non-drinking adult to supervise swimmers.

While an accident free summer may not be possible, taking these simple precautions and steps to being prepared will help you maintain your cool and give you the ability to act quickly to handle the unexpected.

Tags: first aid kits, pool rules, summer safety

Does your teen babysitter know what to do in case of an emergency? Would he/she be able to provide CPR or first aid?

Health and Safety Training now accepting registrations for Babysitter Blast! This three part course will give teens an opportunity to learn valuable skills and earn certifications that will increase their earning potential.

Upon successful completion of the following courses, the candidate will earn certifications in the following areas:

Child and Babysitting Safety (CABS) (this course is a general overview of child and babysitting safety issues and includes information on positive discipline strategies, how to select age appropriate toys, how to make good food choices, etc.)

CPR and AED for the Community and Workplace 

Basic First Aid

The cost for each of these three classes is $40. A free first aid kit ($80 retail value!) from Medibuddy is included when all three classes are purchased together at a cost of $120. Optional additional materials are available at an additional cost (student handbooks, first aid kits, etc.). 

Group discounts are available - contact us at lisaholt@orlandocprclass.com to discuss your group’s needs today!

Register online or contact us at lisaholt@orlandocprclass.com.
 

Tags: babysitting class, babysitting class central Florida, child and babysitting safety central florida, cpr training for babysitters, first aid for babysitters, orlando babysitting class

Health and Safety Training has added “New Parent Infant CPR and First Aid Classes!” Gift certificates are available to buy - makes a great baby shower gift! 

This class is designed for new parents and caregivers. Learn how to be prepared in the event of an emergency!

These subjects will be covered:

Choking and CPR for Infants under 1 year

First Aid
Bleeding
Shock
Burns
Strains, Sprains, and Fractures
Poisoning

NOTE: Completion of this class does not result in certification. If you require CPR or Basic First Aid for a job requirement you will need to register for a class that specifically results in certification!

This class is conducted in your home or other location by a registered nurse with extensive pediatric experience. The fee covers up to 3 participants - we strongly recommend that mom, dad and one other person who is going to be providing care for the infant (grandma, babysitter, etc.) participate.

This class allows for a lot of hands on participation to make sure that you feel confident in your skills.

Tags: baby gift central Florida, infant cpr central florida, infant cpr orlando, infant emergencies, infant first aid, new parent infant cpr class