So is a Granny Crèche the answer to our ageing population?

How many of us baby boomers, and apparently there are around 17 million born between 1945 and 1965, are parenting our parents? And in some cases, because women have delayed having children until they were older, are still parenting children and an elderly parent at the same time. They are caught in what caring organisations call a ‘caring squeeze’ While the needs of both elderly parent and child can be quite similar the reality is very different. A child will eventually go to school and become independent; an elderly person is a deteriorating situation, sometimes with no visible time limit.

But what if you could drop your child off at school and your mother at the work place crèche before going on to work yourself

A granny crèche is not a new idea. I remember writing about a lady many years ago who had been dropped her elderly mother at her work’s elderly care centre. She told me that she felt she had come full circle as she remembered taking her daughter to nursery before going to work and now she was doing the same thing for her mother.

 

She was a shift worker at the old Peugeot car plant in Coventry (the day centre still operates but plant has since closed) and when her mother fell and broke her hip she never really recovered. It left her physically fragile and dementia started. She took her mother at 9 in the morning to the day care centre at the car plant and would pick her up when she finished her shift at 3 p.m. It made a big difference to this lady's life as she had told me then that it would have been difficult for her to carry on working as she couldn’t have left her mother on her own.

 

The day centre was run by the Motor and Allied Trades Benevolent Fund (BEN) and was set up in 1997 with money from Peugeot and the British Racing Drivers’ Club. It began out of concern for the mental health of workers struggling to care for elderly relatives. Workers from Ford, Jaguar and Peugeot pay a voluntary contribution then of between 50p and £2 a week which helped subsidise the cost for those using it. These kinds of day centres are very valuable places not only because they give carers respite and the opportunity to carry on their own lives, but also because they give the elderly a place where they can share experiences with like-minded people.

 

How can we ever understand what it must be like to lose a partner after 55 years? Or what it was like to live through the war? Or To be staring at death which is an imminent part of their life? We are all so busy juggling work, children, partners and social life that sadly we don’t have the time to sit and reminisce.

 

Would my mother have wanted to go to a granny crèche? I doubt it she was a very shy person. Granny crèches are all very well but it is not a baby-sitting service that is needed but a change of attitude towards the elderly.  The day centre in Coventry had the right attitude, a place where people can share experiences and enjoy the final chapter in their lives. But we should not be putting our elderly on the daily ‘to do’ list, to be juggled between shopping, children and workplace. There has to be another solution. Thoughts please????

 

First Aid - Burns

Today I was in a building -- which I will not name for obvious reasons  -- and I scalded myself on hot water.  The alarmed staff around me hunted for a first aider - of course no one  was around but I didn't need first aid I just need access to a tap.  Eventually they found the first aid kit.  Just as well that I didn't have a heart attack!!!

"What do you need," they shouted hunting through the kit.  "Nothing I replied just cold running water." But I was in a hurry with a meeting to get to, so I ran into the ladies toilet and put my hand under the cold tape for a few minutes. That will do I thought.

How wrong was I ? And moreover shame on me I have been running first aid courses at Safe and Sound for over 10 years and I know exactly what to do. Run my hand under cold water for 10 minutes  -- and no less.  So what has happened? a massive blister and a lot of  pain.  If I had taken just 10 minutes to do what I needed to do then I might well have recovered quicker.

Interestingly A & E departments in hospitals frequently tell us that if people knew what to do with a burn then they would not have to carry out as many skin grafts.

If there is a question of electrocution, the golden rule is not to touch the victim until the mains current is off and the person is no longer in touch with the source of electricity.  , preferably in an accident and emergency ward.

 So What to Do?

 

·         Cool burn with cold running water for at least ten minutes. If cold water is not available, use another cold, harmless liquid, such as milk

·         Get medical help for any burn or scald which is larger than a 50p coin

·         Remember to keep calm and give lots of comfort and reassurance to the  victim

·         DO NOT remove burnt clothing which has stuck to the skin. Burnt clothing is sterile and will protect the wound.

·         Remove carefully any jewellery, belts, restrictive clothing or footwear (that is not stuck to the skin) from the injured area before it begins to swell

·         Cover the burn with a clean, dry, non fluffy dressing and secure loosely.  A plastic bag or piece of cling film are ideal

·         DO NOT put butter oil or any sort of grease or lotion on a burn or scald – these can cause further damage and increase the risk of infection

·         DO NOT apply sticking plasters or any other type of adhesive dressing to the skin – they will cause pain and damage when removed

·         DO NOT break blisters – you may introduce infection into the wound

·         DO  NOT give the child anything to eat or drink with the exception of painkillers

·         Give the recommended dose of children’s  or adult's painkiller syrup

 

For details about Safe and Sound First Aid at Work or any other first aid course in Greater London call 0208 445 8998 or go to www.safeandsound.uk.net

 

Head injuries update

Yesterday I blogged about head injuries and had many responses and realised that there is indeed a divided opinion about whether to use cold compressess on head injuries.

Safe and Sound  paramedic trainers advice us NOT to put ice packs on heads!! Apparently  no  ice packs  or cold compresses  will be found in hospitals.  So my apologies for telling you about cold compresses for head injuries

"A cold compress is fine for temperatures and not too bad for head bumps if used sparingly. But ice packs and compresses are meant for joints. Not heads!!! The hypothalamus (the bit that controls temperature) is in the head so any type of temperature there can confuse the bodies regulation of heat and cold. Secondly, cold reduces swelling by reducing capillary size and therefore blood flow. Why would you EVER want to reduce blood to the brain!?!?,"  says our parmaedic trainer adding

"Also the reduction in blood flow could potentially hide a compression as the cold cinches off the blood vessel. "

 

 

Clearly with Schumacher still in a coma head injuries are very much in the news and thankfully we are more aware about helmet use.  Even my speed freak son who went ski-ing last week rented a helmet - which is a first!!!!

 

This is the advice from NHS Website:

 

Minor head injuries are common in people of all ages and should not result in any permanent damage.

The symptoms of a minor head injury are usually mild and short lived. Symptoms may include:

• a mild headache
• nausea (feeling sick)
• mild dizziness
• mild blurred vision

If you or your child experience these mild symptoms after a knock, bump or blow to the head, you won't usually require any specific treatment. However, you should go to your local accident and emergency (A&E) department for a check-up.

If your symptoms significantly worsen or you develop any new symptoms after being discharged, you should return to A&E straight away or call 999 and ask for an ambulance.

How common are head injuries?

Each year in England and Wales, around 700,000 people attend A&E departments with a head injury. Of these, over 80% only have a minor injury.

The most common causes of head injuries are falls, assaults and road traffic collisions.

Children are more likely to sustain a minor head injury because they have high energy levels and little sense of danger.

Treating a minor head injury

Minor head injuries can usually be treated at home and most people will make a full recovery in a few days.

For the first 24 hours after the injury, it's important for someone to stay with the person who was injured, to keep an eye out for any new symptoms that develop.

It is also important to rest and avoid aggravating the injury with stressful situations and avoid contact sports until fully recovered.

Mild headaches can be treated with paracetamol, but always read the manufacturer’s instructions and remember that children under 16 should never be given aspirin.

Read more about how to treat a minor head injury.

Preventing head injuries

Although it can be difficult to predict or avoid a head injury, there are some steps you can take to help reduce the risk of more serious injury.

These include:

• wearing a safety helmet when cycling
• reducing hazards in the home that may cause a fall
• ‘childproofing’ your home
• using the correct safety equipment for work, sport and DIY

For more information about first aid training courses go to www.safeandsound.uk.net
or call 0208 445 8998

Sports Head Injuries

It was a cold winter’s day and I was watching youngest son playing a Rugby match. Middle son was being watched by my partner 3 miles away.  The phone rings “Meet you at A & E,” says my partner. My anxiety levels rise.  I should be used to this, but I am not.  I arrive at A & E to find my son encased head to foot as a security measure as they did not know if he had a neck injury.  He was lucky – it wasn’t.  Which is why I endorse the Welsh rugby coach who is urging people to learn first aid after the skills he had helped him save a players life.

During a charity rugby veteran’s game at Kenfig Hill RFC, Martin Burnell collapsed.

Clive Jenkins, who was watching on the sideline, was able to perform CPR on Martin and consequently save his life.

 

Research shows that, in Wales, around 20,000 people attend A&E every year because they are injured playing sport.

Of course as a regular visitor in London to A & E  I am fully aware of the dangers of this sport and am not a rugby fan! But my partner and boys are!

Many a time I have stood on the sidelines watching the game when players have been injured. Much to my amazement, I have sometimes been the only person there who knew what to do. I have also seen many amateurs trying and sometimes offering bad advice!! And many inured players being encouraged back on the field!

This is why we started Safe and Sound Training 15 years ago because we were concerned that not enough people knew what to do in an emergency situation. Learning first aid is a ‘must’ for everybody. It is our duty as citizens to know how to save a life.  But even more important all Rugby coaches and parent helpers need to attend a first aid course.  Knowing what to do in an emergency can not only ensure that a minor accident doesn’t become a major one, it can also make the difference between life and death.

It takes just a few hours to learn CPR and a day to attend a full first aid course.

 

A few tips for head injuries:

 Cold Compress - wrap a towel or clothing around frozen vegetables or ice to use as a cold compress. You could also use a towel or clothing that’s been soaked in cold water and wrung out. Never place ice directly on the skin because it’s too cold.

A cold compress reduces the swelling and lessens the pain of the injury.

Use a cold compress until the swelling goes down or the person says it feels uncomfortable.

Do not give painkillers because they can mask the signs and symptoms of a serious head injury.

If they vomit or lose consciousness, call an ambulance. You should also call an ambulance if you are unsure how bad the injury is.

If a person suffers a blow to the head, the brain can be shaken inside the skull. This is called concussion. It tends to result in a short loss of consciousness (a few seconds to a few minutes). Most people make a full recovery from a concussion, but occasionally it may become more serious. If you think someone has concussion, call 999.

And with all head injuries you should watch for the symptoms of concussion. If you suspect they have concussion you should call 999.

Sometimes you may not see the symptoms immediately they may include:

• dizziness
• headache
• confusion
• feeling sick
• blurred vision
• Having no memory of what happened.

 

Call us on 0208 445 8998 or go to www.safeandsound.uk.net

.

 

 

Marijuana Child Safety Containers

 

 

This has to be a sign of our times - child safety marijuana containers!!!! Who would have thought it?

Such changes in the last few decades, a black president, homosexuality now part of main stream and the internet - what would our grandparents have said?

The legalisation of Marijuana for recreational use in Colorado has sent shops and users scrambling around to find packaging that complies with the states mandate for child proof containers. Concerns over accidental ingestion of Marijuana by children has prompted legislation in Colorado mandating child safety measures such as reverse cap vials on par with that found on potentially harmful over-the-counter medication. Although they have traditionally sold marijuana in packaging such as clear plastic bags, dispensaries that fail to comply with the new regulations risk losing their license to sell their product.

This big push for child safety is in response to accidental ingestion of marijuana by children in 14 incidents between 2009 and 2011. With the law in effect and the stores open for business, critics say that the number of incidents will rise if compliance with packaging regulations is not enforced.

I remember 20 years ago having to sack one of the children’s nannies not  for smoking marijuana,  as what she did in her spare time was not my business,  but because she kept leaving lumps of hash in her bedroom in easy reach of the children.

Suppliers nationwide are gearing up to meet this new need in the marijuana industry and ensure child safety. At last count there were twenty states with medical marijuana legislation and growing. With Washington and Colorado leading the way with recreational legalization, soon that number may be much higher.

It will be interesting to see what kind of creative packaging comes out of this!!!!

You pay peanuts you get monkeys

On Friday I had a conversation with the Manager of a construction company. I was trying to interest him in our Safe and Sound First Aid Courses that we run for builders.
"I am sorry," he said, "but I can get it much cheaper."

"How much cheaper," I asked.

"£50 per person."

"I would like to invite you on one of our courses as our guest so you can  how good we are at training." I replied.

I know that our training is just about the best in the industry. Why? because we are told this by our clients.  Many of them tell us that they have never been on such a brilliant course.

"I am not interested," said the manager. "I don't care about the quality, just the cost."

And with that the conversation ended. Well what more could I say? Except perhaps when you go out for your next business lunch, or a boozy night out with colleagues which will undoubtedly cost nearly as much as one of our courses I really hope that if something gets stuck in your throat, there is someone nearby that has attended a good first aid training course.

And I say this because  a few weeks ago a builder had told us that  had although he had attended a course through his company a few years ago and  he didn't remember anything.

The thing about first aid is that it is absolutely vital that you get good training.  It is not the most exciting thing to learn and especially if you are on a 3 Day course. I have been on one, and I won't name the well know national company, when after Day 1 I felt like slitting my wrists rather than go back for Day 2. It was so incredibly boring, flat, and the trainer had the personality of a newt. Actually I have no idea what kind of personality a newt has but I suspect it isn't very exciting.

If you have good training then it will stay with you and should an emergency ever happen and you need to call on these skills, you will remember what the trainer has taught you.

This is what  Simon Godley of 42 The Dental Practice said about our training.

“Everyone at our practice really enjoyed the  CPR training (which was a first) Marks enthusiasm was  infectious. His obvious "hands on" experience, depth of knowledge medical Emergencies and his ability to break things down into easy to remember 'bite size chunks' was really appreciated by us all. I could hear the nurses repeating comic little phrases he threw in and I'm sure they'll remember more because of it.I would highly recommend this to anyone who's thinking of booking a group CPR session for their practice.”

I think it is a sad reflection on our society that First Aid is so poorly valued.  Surely all companies what to ensure that their staff are safe and prepared should an emergency occur.  I believe that there are lots of good trainers out there but also lots of bad ones. An  old adage comes to mind -- you pay peanuts you get monkeys 

 

 

 

 

Make 2014 the year that you learn or refresh your first aid skills.  First Aid is not rocket science – it is basic and easy to learn and can really make the difference between life and death!

Imagine how reassured you would be to know that the person walking by you in the street would know what to do if you collapsed and stopped breathing, had a heart attack or started choking. 

In reality once the heart stops beating, you only have approximately 3 minutes without oxygenation before the brain is likely to suffer irreparable brain damage.  Therefore the heart must either be restarted or oxygen be provided mechanically by someone else, i.e. starting CPR. 

Safe and Sound has been teaching first aid for over 15 years and we have had heard remarkable stories of how lives have been saved by friends and colleagues and,  in fact, perfect strangers doing CPR. 

One of our trainers who works in an A & E department of a large hospital recalls a situation a few years ago when she was involved in the resuscitation of a toddler who had drowned in the family pond.   The accident happened in February, on a cold but sunny winter morning.  The two older children of the family went out to play in the garden, but didn't realise the toddler followed.  After approximately 20 minutes playing dad spotted the toddler face down in the pond.  He retrieved him and started CPR, as luckily he had been trained.  An ambulance was called and when it arrived the paramedics started more advanced life support and brought him to the emergency department.  On his arrival this little boy was significantly hypothermic and was resuscitated for almost an hour before his heart spontaneously re-started.  The little boy made a full recovery. 

The possible explanation for this was the fact that this incident involved cold water drowning.   If the child is profoundly cold, i.e. hypothermic at the moment that the child's heart stops his vital organs, in particular the brain, may be protected from damage due to lack of oxygenation, a concept often referred to as 'protective hypothermia'. But had CPR not been administered promptly the boy would have died.

When Jessica, a nanny, attended a Safe and Sound paediatric first aid course on 16^th February 2013 she had no idea that within a month she would be using her first aid skills to save the life of an 18 year old girl.

It was St Patrick’s Day and Jessica was in the West End with some friends watching the procession. Suddenly a young girl collapsed on the floor. “I couldn’t believe that we were in the middle of Leicester Square with thousands of people milling around and nobody went to help,” said Jessica.

“I was hoping that I wouldn’t have to do anything, but when I saw that the girl was not responding and not breathing I knew I had to start CPR. I felt very nervous but I remembered what the Safe and Sound trainer had told us on the course and just put it into action. ”

Jessica continued CPR for 7 minutes until the paramedics arrived.

“It was exhausting and it felt like I was doing it forever,” she said, “but it was amazing just how the training all came back to me. When the paramedics took over I was completely overwhelmed.”

The paramedics told Jessica that “without a doubt she had saved the young girl’s life.

 These are just a few of the very many stories that we hear about.  First Aid must be the most important skill you will learn.  It is not expensive probably the cost of a good dinner and which is more important? Don’t procrastinate book on to a course. Go to www.safeandsound.uk.net and find one nearest to you. Or call us on 0208 445 8998