Most individuals who experience cardiac arrest outside of a hospital are at home or in a residence, according to the American Heart Association. Only 40% of those people get the immediate help that they need before emergency responders arrive.
But the association has teamed up with UR Medicine and the Monroe County Library System in an effort to help more people learn how to perform CPR. People will be able to use their library cards to check out kits they can use to learn CPR in the comfort of their own homes.
“Because when more people know CPR, more lives can be saved,” said Dr. Rebecca Schallek, URMC Cardiology. She said the training kits can be checked out from all Monroe County libraries.
The kit includes an inflatable adult-size manikin and instructions on how to perform chest compressions on the doll.
“Each of us has the power in our own hands to respond to a sudden cardiac arrest,” Sally Thornton said. “We simply need to know what to do and have the confidence to act.”
Thornton, chairperson for the American Heart Association’s local advisory board, said the long-term goal of this outreach is for bystanders to feel sure about stepping in when faced with a cardiac emergency, and “become a vital link in the chain of survival.”
That chain of survival starts with calling 911, performing quality CPR compressions, and having an automated external defibrillator (AED) nearby and ready to be used until a professional arrives, Thornton said.
“Now is the time to be trained, no matter your age,” she said.
