Slips, Trips and Fractured Hips

Slips, Trips and Fractured Hips has been written for people caring for older friends and relatives; children caring for elderly parents, for spouses, for older people wanting to keep themselves that bit safer and for anyone working with or caring for older people. It is designed to help you take measures to prevent life-threatening injuries and help you plan, prepare and avoid mishap. It will also equip you with the necessary skills should an accident occur. Immediate and appropriate first aid saves lives, reduces pain and suffering and can make a dramatic difference to the speed and extent of the casualty’s recovery.

First aid treatment can be so simple and knowing what to do can save people so much pain, scarring and further major hospital intervention. Written by an experienced nurse and first aid expert, Emma draws upon her professional and personal experience to produce and engaging and authorative guide. 

Supported by RoSPA, Home Safety and Age UK advisers, Slips, Trips and Fractured Hips is packed full of practical hints and tips relevant to people as they get older.

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 person and anticipating how they might react to the injuries you can see. Staying one step ahead in an emergency situation often proves vital to the recovery of the casualty.

As we age, we also become more accident prone. Our eyesight deteriorates, our skin becomes more friable, we may develop medical conditions which affect our balance and mobility and generally we become more susceptible to injury. It is vital that we recognise this and take extra steps to keep ourselves fit and healthy and are mindful of common avoidable hazards that frequently lead to accidental injury.

Older people can suffer serious injuries from falls, bleeds and burns that would be superficial in a younger person. They may not respond to a medical emergency in the usual way and can deteriorate extremely quickly. It is important to recognise and understand that the physiology in older people is different and that medication may affect this too. Slips, Trips and Fractured Hips includes an overview as to how the ageing process affects us physiologically and an introduction to common medication and how this may affect the way people react in a medical emergency.

The information contained within this book should help give you the confidence to:

• Identify common hazards and take precautions to prevent possible injuries

• Understand how ageing affects the body and the effects of common prescription medication and illnesses on the response to trauma

• Calmly approach any injury or medical emergency

• Assess the severity of the situation

• Quickly prioritise and identify whether there are any life-threatening injuries

• Reassure the casualty and treat the most urgent issues

• Seek medical advice or call an ambulance if necessary

With clear, simple directions, tested advice, engaging photographs and illustrations, this a unique, must-have for all older people and anyone caring for them too.

Contents:

Foreword

Introduction

How to use this book

Prioritising injuries and safety

Recognising when something is seriously wrong and when to phone for an ambulance

How to phone an ambulance

1. the physiology of ageing and how this affects the way we might react in a medical emergency.

Common prescription drugs in the elderly, drug interactions

side effects and tips for management

General advice and lifestyle changes to reduce reliance on medication

1. on preventing of falls and accidents.

Life-threatening emergencies

How to help in an emergency

Unresponsive and breathing

How to someone into the recovery position

Unconscious and not breathing

CPR – Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation

Heart attacks

Angina

Defibrillators/AEDs

Treatment for common injuries and illnesses

Breathing problems

Choking

Asthma

Panic attacks

Anaphylactic shock

Wounds and bleeding

Shock

Fainting

Bites and stings

Burns

Poisoning

Falls

Breaks, sprains and dislocations

Head injuries

Strokes and TIA’s

Spinal injuries

Road traffic accidents

Fitting/seizures/convulsions

Extremes of body temperature

Medical conditions

• Sepsis

• Diabetes

Useful information

What to put in your first aid kit

Accident Forms

Resources

Checklist and risk assessment for the home (suitable for carers)

References