Susan's first aid story: "I didn’t even think about it, I just stepped up to help"
Susan previously attended a British Red Cross Training first aid at work course in Hillington, Glasgow. She was on holiday when she saw an older lady fall over on a ramp outside a library.
If a person who is over the age of 65 has a head injury, you should always seek medical attention.
Susan said, “When I got to her, there was a bump, and she was bleeding from a nasty cut on her head. She was embarrassed and kept saying she didn’t want to cause a fuss, but she was quite pale, and she said that she felt dizzy and was struggling to stand. I told her I was a first aider and that it might be a good idea to pop inside the library and sit down.’’
Upon entering the library, Susan spoke with the library staff and found that the nearest accident and emergency department was over an hour away. This coupled with the fact that the lady was over 65 years old, prompted Susan to decide it was best to call 999 and meanwhile she asked the library assistant to bring a first aid kit.
Susan added, “I then noticed that the lady was also bleeding from her elbow, knee and foot. She was holding her head, which had a cut on it, so I put a bandage on the head wound to maintain the pressure, asking the lady to apply pressure to the elbow wound using another dressing because it was also bleeding quite heavily.’’
Susan remained with the lady, to monitor and reassure her, until the paramedics arrived.
She said, “We stayed and watched to make sure nothing changed, then when the ambulance arrived, the paramedics were brilliant and said we’d done the right thing. We carried on with our day and when we returned to the car park, about an hour later, they were still checking her over in the ambulance.’’
Susan also recommended to the library manager that they should consider first aid training for all their team.
Susan added, “I’ve been trained in First aid at work for many years and never once been required to use my training. It was an incident outside of work that needed someone with first aid skills to help. When it happened, I didn’t even think about it, I just stepped up to help.
I think that’s what good training does, gives you the confidence to take the initiative and ensure the wellbeing of other folks. Think of doing first aid training like having insurance; you might never need it, but if you do, you’ll be glad you’ve done it.’’
How to help someone with a head injury
If you suspect someone has a head injury they may:
- have banged their head
- say that their head is hurt
- have a headache
- have a lump on their head.
Follow the steps below to help:
1. Ask them to rest and apply something cold to the injury – for example, frozen vegetables wrapped in a tea towel.
2. If they become sleepy, vomit or seem confused, call 999.
It is best practice to seek medical attention if the person is over 65 years of age.
Susan’s story is a strong reminder of the importance of keeping your first aid skills refreshed, even if you haven’t been required to use them in a while. If you're responsible for first aid in your organisation or you want to refresh your existing first aid skills, book a first aid course with us today.