Why Senior CPR Courses are Crucial

Fact Checked

The increasing number of senior citizens around the world has underlined the importance of CPR and first aid that’s geared towards them. Care for senior citizens doesn’t just involve caring for their daily needs but also knowing what to do in an emergency. This is why it’s crucial for caregivers to know how to administer cardio-pulmonary resuscitation or CPR in order to help senior citizens at a time when they’re very vulnerable. Most seniors don’t have life-threatening issues that would need CPR but we all know that emergencies arise anytime and anywhere. A caregiver who’s assigned to take care of you, your grandparents or parents should know how to respond to emergencies in a timely manner.

Reasons Why Senior Caregivers Should Learn CPR

CPR is crucial when a person stops breathing or the heart stops beating. CPR keeps oxygenated blood circulating in the body and helps keep a person alive until emergency personnel arrive.

Situations that might necessitate the use of CPR go up in environments where there are a lot of senior citizens. Aside from a heart attack, some of the most common instances when CPR on a senior is needed are an asthma attack, smoke inhalation, accidents like falling down stairs or high blood pressure. These situations can even happen at home, so families with senior citizens should take CPR courses to prepare for emergencies.

How to Become Certified in CPR

CPR Training can be achieved through various ways. One can learn it by enrolling in accredited First Aid and CPR courses. St Mark James often gives training on how to do basic first aid, how to perform CPR and how to use AEDs or automated external defibrillators.

Online courses or studying a DVD is another way to go. However, training this way won’t give you the certification that’s sometimes needed. But the information and training from these courses are undoubtedly useful and are up to date. Most of these online courses teach the following –

  • Basic life support procedures
  • How to perform CPR on adults
  • How to deliver chest compressions and rescue breaths
  • Steps for using an AED
  • Proper health and hygiene of rescuers

When it comes to cost, online classes admittedly cost less than hands-on classes. However, it’s important to learn CPR from qualified instructors especially when you’re working in a senior care facility. There’s a very small time frame for performing CPR effectively and the right techniques will make a big difference. Plus, there are some CPR techniques, like chest compressions, that can do more harm than good if not performed correctly. When something as big as a life is at stake, you’ll need all the skill and confidence that intensive and practical CPR courses can give you.

Never underestimate the importance of knowing how to do CPR when it comes to caring for seniors. Performing CPR correctly during the five to ten minutes after a senior has stopped breathing can mean the difference between life and death.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

The information posted on this page is for educational purposes only.
If you need medical advice or help with a diagnosis contact a medical professional

  • All cprhcp.ca content is reviewed by a medical professional and / sourced to ensure as much factual accuracy as possible.

  • We have strict sourcing guidelines and only link to reputable websites, academic research institutions and medical articles.

  • If you feel that any of our content is inaccurate, out-of-date, or otherwise questionable, please contact us through our contact us page.