Between 50-70% of care home residents have swallowing difficulties (Dysphagia) and are therefore at higher risk of choking. In addition to this, even though it is hard to find an exact percentage, it is thought that between 70 – 80% of people within care and nursing homes have a physical disability, such as limited mobility or being a wheelchair user.
What does this mean when people are faced with a choking emergency and standard first aid choking protocol cannot be performed? This means their survival rate is drastically reduced. Abdominal Thrusts and Back Blows in combination are 70% effective when performed by a healthcare professional in a perfect situation.
If a casualty cannot receive abdominal thrusts due to a physical disability, frailty, being a wheelchair user or obesity, they are left with back blows. Back blows are between 10 – 23.8% effective depending on which of the only two peer reviewed medical publication’s you read. Choking is also one of the leading causes of accidental death in adults over the age of 65.
Medication taken to help with symptoms of Parkingson’s Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, Alzheimer’s also can have the side effect of “dry mouth”.
The combination of not being able to receive standard first aid choking protocol and being high risk of choking is a recipe for disaster and shows the need for drastic change to improve patient outcomes. Now is the time to put an end to misinformation and safeguard the people you care for on a daily basis.
We were recently joined by the team at LifeVac to raise awareness of choking within social care, you can catch up on this webinar here
LifeVac Europe have been working with thousands of care and nursing homes across the UK for the past 11-years, providing peace of mind and helping save thousands of lives.
In fact our free CPD Certified e-learning was incorporated with the assistance of many regional managers and quality directors from the healthcare sector.
The use of LifeVac is governed by the MHRA in the UK, up until June of 2023 we were only allowed to help save lives within care/nursing homes and hospitals in the UK to meet an unmet medical need. Following several years of proving efficacy of LifeVac to the MHRA and obtaining 15 peer reviewed medical publications proving safety effectiveness (98% effective is all publications), lives saved and ease of use. In June of 2023 the MHRA stated LifeVac can now be used by anyone and on anyone in a choking emergency when first aid fails or cannot be performed. Not only do we work with care/nursing homes, but we also now work with thousands of schools, nurseries, businesses, parents and the NHS, having helped save over 4,319 lives to date. LifeVac is a legal option for any person or setting to use in a choking emergency when first aid fails or cannot be performed.
LifeVac Europe have been on a mission since we very first started manufacturing LifeVac, this mission to end preventable choking related tragedies.
Not only can LifeVac be self-applied, but it can also be applied when someone is sitting, standing or laying down. Due to our patented one-way safety valve system, no air can be forced through the interchangeable sized masks.
Being a medical device manufacturer, we have full product and public liability insurance which covers the end-user. If a LifeVac device is ever used in a choking emergency and reported back to us, we replace it free of charge. LifeVac is UKCA marked, MDR compliant, CE marked, and we are ISO 13485 accredited.
Not only do we offer free CPD Certified e-learning, we deliver face to face training our selves and have many first aid training providers who train on the use of LifeVac. You can find out more here or email [email protected]
LifeVac Europe, Unit 5, Torridge Business Park, South Molton, Devon, EX36 4HP
01271 316044
You can catch up on some of our nutrition and food shows using the links below:
- From Plate to Palate – Transforming Mealtimes in Social Care
- The Caring View Episode 19 – Nutrition in Care
- The Caring View – Episode 35 – Dysphagia at Christmas. Live Cooking
