CPRMom

A few weeks ago I posted one of the newer videos on the Go Red for Women website. "Just a little heart attack" . Coincidentally I had recently finished an article on self-care for supermoms which will appear in the Fall 2011 issue of Applaud for Women . Parents are especially guilty of putting the needs of their families before their own. But statistically Sudden Cardiac Arrest is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States. Even if we have annual exams and all the tests that go with it, are you leading a heart healthy lifestyle so that you will be there for your family? It is not selfish, but rather self-preservation. Taking care of yourself and your health means you can participate fully in family and community activities. Start small, take a few minutes each day for some exercise, watch what you eat, and do an activity that you enjoy. Your mental and physical health depends on it. Even Supermoms and Superdads need to take care of the...

This past Monday morning I watched the news on TV. This is not something I usually have time for or will try to compete with the kids to watch the only TV in the house. But I did and I learned that the Northeast is the path of a hurricane. This is news. Usually here in NH we just get the aftermath after the hurricane is downgraded to a tropical storm or even less severe. A few hours later I found out there was an earthquake a few hundred miles south of us. So as I'm thinking about Hurricanes and Earthquakes I began to think about Zombies. Yup, Zombies. What do Zombies have to do with Earthquakes and Hurricanes? The folks at the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention put together a really neat guide on how to survive a zombie apocalypse. Remember a while back the world was supposed to end or we were going to be overrun by zombies? Well the folks at the CDC wanted to make sure we were prepared and created a really good guide on how we could do that. Coinciden...

I had several good questions about DNR aka Do Not Resuscitate orders in some classes a few months ago, and recently there has been a very interesting legal discussion on them in one of the Instructors Forums I belong to. A DNR order is a legal document signed by a patient's physician that states that in the event of a life-ending situation, life-saving measures should not be initiated. This means that CPR is not started. However if someone is choking, and is conscious, you can provide an abdominal or chest thrust to relieve choking. You should not start CPR if the foreign body airway obstruction cannot be removed. You can read the NH Definition of DNR here . How do you know if a person has a DNR? In a medical care facility this will be in the patients chart and paperwork. The nursing and care staff should be familiar with does and does not have a DNR order. In an out-of-hospital setting check to see the patient is wearing a state-issued DNR bracelet or if the family has...

I've been following an interesting discussion on an instructors forum I am on. It is one of those conversations that started out as one thing, and is slowly morphing into several different topics. But one of the conversations that came out of it was the staff at one agency somewhat bashing the credentials of another ... and that's not cool. There are many really good CPR and First Aid programs out there. While I teach for the American Heart Association (AHA) and the American Safety and Health Institute (ASHI); there is also the American Red Cross (ARC), Emergency Care & Safety Institute (ECSI), American CPR and probably a few I'm not familiar with. There are also a lot of not so good programs out there, I'm not even going to try to look them up to list them here. How do you tell a good program from a not-so-good program? A good program has a hands-on skills component to the class. A good program can have traditional classroom courses as well as blend...

So yes, I haven't posted in a while.  A really, really, really long while.  But I've been working on setting up some new courses and offerings which will be announced shortly.  But in the interim I've become very involved in fundraising for our little school and our Odyssey of the Mind team . From their website: Odyssey of the Mind is an international educational program that provides creative problem-solving opportunities for students from kindergarten through college. Team members apply their creativity to solve problems that range from building mechanical devices to presenting their own interpretation of literary classics. They then bring their solutions to competition on the local, state, and World level. Thousands of teams from throughout the U.S. and from about 25 other countries participate in the program. What makes our Odyssey of the Mind team unique? This is their first year participating in the Odyssey of the Mind program. We have not only a very talent...

I don't get a chance to watch the news on TV every day, but I caught a bit this morning which I thought would be a good story to share.  There have been 2 fires in 2 days here in New Hampshire, both possibly caused by woodstoves.  (see 2 fires in 2 days brings woodstove warnings .) Have you had your heating system inspected or cleaned?  It doesn't matter if you heat with wood, oil, propane or natural gas.  You should have your heating system cleaned, serviced or inspected annually.  Have your chimney checked around the same time.  It's not just the furnace or stove that need to be checked; when heating with wood products you can have a buildup of creosote in your chimney flue. Hazards you want to be careful of include: A buildup of creosote can get too hot or be ignited by embers causing a chimney fire.   Improper installation of a stovepipe can cause a fire to walls and ceilings Make sure your heating appliance is properly vented to the o...