On Tuesday, my 82 year old mum fell in the garden whilst weeding and badly cut her head. Luckily I was at home as I was preparing to go into work. A shout for help and I found my mum in the toilet holding a towel to her head saying she had banged her head. My 83 year old father can not stand the sight of blood and does not react well to it. I kept him out the immediate way by calling the ambulance, whilst I rushed and got one of my trauma bandages.
I check the wound it a little gravel that I could see but it was a large cut about 10 cm across the top of her forehead. I quickly put on the Israeli bandage and made sure she sat down on a chair. legged to the phone and took over the 999 call from my day to make sure they got the right details as he is very hard of hearing.
Ambulance and Paramedics arrived in a couple of minutes and took over, they were impressed with my bandaging skills and the treatment given, my father went to the hospital with her whilst I did a bit of tiding up and got some sandwiches and stuff together cause of diabetics and legged to the hospital.
Once there got great treatment but it did take some time. My had her accident at 11:20, went hospital and arrived at 12:00 I was there before 13:00 and finally left after CT scan at 22:05. My mother has 19 outer stitches and 5 sub-dermal stitches and she had concussion, but because me and my sister could take time off she was able to come home.
Moral of this: luckily I was home, I am military first aid trained and kept my skills current, I keep a good first aid kit to hand.
If I had not been there I am not certain of the outcome because I father could not have coped with the blood, and I am not sure how long he would have taken over calling 999. She had lost a fair bit of blood when I came to her, as asked by the person on the other end of the phone was it more than 1 coffee cup full, it was over 2 I told them but could have been more if I hadn't got a trauma bandage. replacement bandage on order, but I still have a couple of work ones which have gone into the kit till the other slightly smaller ones arrive. 4 inch is the one I keep in the kit rather than 6 inch which is in there temporarily.
When it comes to loved ones, be prepared and keep a good kit to hand and keep trained.
I check the wound it a little gravel that I could see but it was a large cut about 10 cm across the top of her forehead. I quickly put on the Israeli bandage and made sure she sat down on a chair. legged to the phone and took over the 999 call from my day to make sure they got the right details as he is very hard of hearing.
Ambulance and Paramedics arrived in a couple of minutes and took over, they were impressed with my bandaging skills and the treatment given, my father went to the hospital with her whilst I did a bit of tiding up and got some sandwiches and stuff together cause of diabetics and legged to the hospital.
Once there got great treatment but it did take some time. My had her accident at 11:20, went hospital and arrived at 12:00 I was there before 13:00 and finally left after CT scan at 22:05. My mother has 19 outer stitches and 5 sub-dermal stitches and she had concussion, but because me and my sister could take time off she was able to come home.
Moral of this: luckily I was home, I am military first aid trained and kept my skills current, I keep a good first aid kit to hand.
If I had not been there I am not certain of the outcome because I father could not have coped with the blood, and I am not sure how long he would have taken over calling 999. She had lost a fair bit of blood when I came to her, as asked by the person on the other end of the phone was it more than 1 coffee cup full, it was over 2 I told them but could have been more if I hadn't got a trauma bandage. replacement bandage on order, but I still have a couple of work ones which have gone into the kit till the other slightly smaller ones arrive. 4 inch is the one I keep in the kit rather than 6 inch which is in there temporarily.
When it comes to loved ones, be prepared and keep a good kit to hand and keep trained.
