Be ready for anything by learning CPR and first aid skills — the kids, too!
Two of the first things you may look for in a nanny is that 1) she’s certified and 2) she knows CPR. You want your children to be in safe hands. So, shouldn’t YOU know CPR, too?
You may have top notch parenting skills, but being CPR certified is a skill everyone should know. It can save your spouse or even your child’s life. Your kids can learn, too!
Lori Fovel, communications director at the American Heart Association (AHA), says that 70 percent of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests happen in homes.
“If you are called on to give CPR in an emergency, you will most likely be trying to save the life of someone you love: a child, a spouse, a parent or a friend,” says Fovel.
We all react differently in an emergency situation. We are human. Like any skill, practice makes us more confident. In fact, only 46 percent of people who experience an out-of-hospital cardiac rest receive the care they need before professional help comes to the scene, according to Fovel.
“CPR, especially if performed immediately, can triple a cardiac arrest victim’s chance of survival,” she says.
TEACHING CHILDREN CPR
Kids are capable of learning basic lifesaving skills at an early age. Kids are curious; they are eager to learn and they are sponges.
Begin using available area resources. For example, the AHA has local CPR training kiosks at the Cincinnati Museum Center and the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport.
“The kiosk walks you through how to recognize symptoms of cardiac arrest and when and how to administer hands-only CPR,” says Fovel. “Middle school is a great age to teach children and often even earlier.”
In June of 2016, Ohio was the 33rd state to pass the CPR in Schools legislation which took effect in the 2017/2018 school year. The result? Now, more than 100,000 high school graduates will be trained in CPR and AED skills every year.
Life gets busy, so keeping your certification up-to-date (it needs to be renewed every one or two years) can easily slip your minds. Consider getting an at-home training kit that has all of the tools your family needs to learn CPR, choking relief skills and more while you’re at home. The AHA has kits available at shopheart.org/cpr-anytime.
There are plenty of free ways families can learn CPR, too. Local community events will often have a kiosk. The AHA and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital host “Recess in the Stadium,” a free community event at Paul Brown Stadium each year, and local fire departments including the Union Township Fire Department (union-township.oh.us) and Green Township (greentwp.org/departments/fire-ems/cpr-training/) offer free CPR and AED training classes.
Now you’re armed with research. No more excuses!
Check out these places where you can get your CPR certification in no time.
American Red Cross; redcross.org
American Heart Association; heart.org/en/cpr
CityWide CPR; citywidecpr.com
West Chester Fire Department, authorized by the American Heart Association; westchesteroh.org/departments/fire-department/public education-programs/cpr-first-aid-classes
CPR Cincinnati; acls-bls-cincinnati.com
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital; cincinnatichildrens.org/education/community/cpr-first-aid
NKEMS Health and Safety Training; nkems.org