Blog
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Top Tips from the Fire Service on Staying Safe at Home
The National Fire Chiefs Council is working with local fire and rescue services to highlight the importance of fire detection in the home. Alarms can’t prevent fires but they do provide an early warning of fire, buying you valuable time to get out...
Burns
Burns - and the elderly. Older people are at the highest risk for fatal injuries from burns and scalds. In fact up to five times greater than the population as a whole. Factors contributing to this high risk include: impaired vision, decreased co-ordination,...
Choking – and the elderly
Choking According to recent figures, an average of 68 care home residents die every year from choking-related medical problems in England and Wales. The elderly can be susceptible to choking due to a number of factors: eating too fast, trying to swallow large...
Why Learn First Aid?
As we get older our physiology changes and we often develop additional medical conditions. These conditions and the medicine taken to manage them can alter the way our bodies react to injury. Understanding this is key to managing a first aid emergency in an older...
Heart Attacks
What is a Heart Attack? Fatty deposits and plaques cause atheroma that builds up in coronary arteries and reduces the lumen of the artery, meaning that blood flows slower through the vessel. This can cause angina, which is when the heart muscle 'complains' that it is...
Exciting launch of Stay Safe for Older People.
Stay Safe for Older People is a vital new initiative providing essential information to older people and those who care for them; helping them stay safe, healthy and avoid preventable accidents. Saving the distress and often...
Blood pressure – the lowdown
High Blood Pressure High blood pressure or hypertension is often considered a concern of the elderly. This is due to its association with serious health issues such as heart attacks and strokes. More recently a new link has been discovered between high blood...
Avoiding Medication Problems
1. Be actively involved in understanding health conditions and prescribed medications: Talk with the healthcare providers Ask questions Read trustworthy, reputable online sites Join health support groups It is important that everyone involved in the care of an...
Flu Jab 2018!
Flu – the new vaccine that's good news for older people. Boots starts offering their vaccinations this week. This year there is an improved flu vaccine (which also boosts the immune system for older people) and this is the one we are being offered in the UK...
Bleeding and Skin Ulceration
Older people’s skin is thinner and can become papery, particularly on the shins and arms. It is very easy for them to catch themselves on things and it can take a long time to heal. If an elderly person on warfarin, they are also more likely to bleed, and when someone...