Fainting
Elderly people suffering from heart and cardiovascular diseases, taking medication related to diabetes, pressure or cardiac conditions as well as those who are malnourished or dehydrated tend to be at the highest risk of fainting.
The most common symptoms preceding fainting are weakness, blurred vision, dizziness, paleness and cold skin.
In such situations it is necessary to proceed as follows:
Place the elderly person on their back and place their limbs up slightly above the torso
Loosen their clothes and provide the access to fresh air
Measure the person’s blood pressure or sugar level to see if it is too low (depending on what they are suffering from)
Contact a doctor
Losing consciousness
If an elderly person loses consciousness, does not react to any stimuli, or convulsions begin to appear, it may be associated with a respiratory or circulatory arrest.
Regardless of the cause, loss of consciousness is always life-threatening and it is necessary to call an ambulance immediately.
The procedure in such situations is as follows:
Place the elderly person on their back
Tilt her head back to clear the airways
If the person does not require a heart massage, then it is enough to place them in a recovery position
Remove any objects or a denture from their mouth
By observing the chest, check if the person is breathing. If not, block their nose and breathe air into their mouth.
How to check the heart rate of an unconscious person?
Method 1
Check a person’s heart rate by pressing 2 fingers against their carotid artery.
Method 2
Place your index finger and the middle finger on the person’s wrist at the base of the thumb. Using a clock or a watch that counts seconds, count how many beats you can feel in a minute, or count them for 30 seconds and multiply the number by 2.
If the pulse is not felt, you should start a heart massage by putting your hand at the height of 1/3 of the sternum and pressing down on their chest. Compression should be 4-5 cm deep, while keeping the ratio of 2 breaths for 30 compressions. Continue performing these activities until the ambulance arrives or the person regains consciousness.
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