In the future is it possible that CPR and mental health first aid will be taught together? It is a possibility. This great article in the Washington Post suggested that one is more likely to encounter someone who is experiencing a behavioral health condition or crisis" than someone facing a physical emergency, said Laira Roth, the council's project manager for the first aid course. Did you know that one in four Americans will suffer from a mental illness or addiction?
The best approach boils down to a five-letter acronym, ALGEE. 
A: Assess for risk of suicide or harm.
L: Listen non-judgmentally.
G: Give reassurance and information.
E: Encourage appropriate professional help.
E: Encourage self-help and other support strategies.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2016/01/04/trying-to-make-mental-health-first-aid-as-familiar-as-cpr/

So many of us are animal lovers but sometimes unexpected accidents happen. If you ever incur an animal bite wouldn't it be nice to know exactly what to do?
First, if you ever experience an animal bite, ensure that you wash the wound thoroughly with soap and water and then apply an antibiotic cream while covering the bite with a clean bandage. Next, seek emergency medical care if any of the following apply:
1. The wound is a deep puncture or your not quite sure about the seriousness of the wound.
2. The skin is badly torn, crushed, or bleeding significantly. If this is occurring; apply pressure with a bandage or clean cloth to stop the bleeding.
3. If you notice increasing swelling, redness, pain or oozing from the wound; as these could be signs of infection.
4. You have emergency questions regarding the risk of rabies or rabies prevention. If the bite was caused by a cat or dog, try to confirm that the animals' rabies vaccination are current. However, if the bite was caused by a non-domesticated animal then seek expert consult from your primary care physician regarding which animals may likely carry rabies.

Lastly, if you have not received  a tetanus vaccination within the past 10 years or even 5 years if the wound is deep and/or dirty; then you may need a booster vaccination.

​https://www.mayoclinic.org/first-aid/first-aid-animal-bites/basics/art-20056591

The Citizen First Responder Training Program in Singapore launched on Sunday (Jan 17) to mark National Life Saving Day, will teach participants to use a first-aid kit and how to deal with common time-critical situations, such as fainting, stroke, heat exhaustion and burns and fractures.
On completion of the course, participants are certified as Citizen First Responders.
Lastly, on an interesting note, nearly 3,000 people die from coronary heart disease or heart attack in Singapore, with about half of them collapsing before they can reach a hospital.

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/new-five-hour-course-for/2433590.html

Have you always wanted to teach CPR or just make a difference in your community? Now you can. I am offering both BLS for Healthcare Providers and Heartsaver CPR/AED and Heartsaver CPR/AED/First Aid Instructor training.
The certification cost is $505.00.
Prerequisites are as follows:

Candidate must be at least 16 years old
Candidate must posses a current American Heart Association BLS for Healthcare Provider certificate.
Complete the BLS Instructor Candidate Application
Candidate must complete the AHA online “BLS Instructor Essentials” course PRIOR to attending the classroom portion of the course
Candidate must attend the 5-hour in-person classroom course.
Candidate must be monitored teaching their first full course within 6 months of attending the classroom portion of the course (monitoring and alignment fee is included in certification package)

If interested, email me directly at Tracy@helpaheartcpr.com and I can explain the certification process with you to determine if you are a "good fit".

Now that's it 2016- what are your New Year's resolutions? How about learning a new skill? Learning CPR and First Aid is a valuable certification that can literally "last a lifetime".
I ran across this interesting article regarding the implementation of CPR in high school in Michigan. the bill if passed would require CPR certification in order to graduate from High School.  "Senate Bill 647 of 2015 would require CPR instruction for all students in grades 7 to 12 beginning in the 2016-17 school year. According to the bill, students would need to successfully complete the instruction before being issued a high school diploma." What are your thoughts? Should this be mandatory or voluntary?
Happy New Year All.
http://www.freep.com/story/news/politics/2016/01/05/school-students-cpr-requirement/78322744/