National Heimlich Maneuver Day

Today is National Heimlich Maneuver Day!

The Heimlich Maneuver is a simple, life saving technique for when someone is choking on an object stuck in their throat. Unfortunately, each year many people die from choking on objects that obstruct their airways and cause suffocation. Choking is in fact the fourth leading cause of unintentional death.

At Private Home Care we ensure that each and every member of the company is very well versed in signs indicating choking and preforming the Heimlich Maneuver. We are proud of our role and ability to ensure safety in every situation.

Food is often responsible for choking incidents in the elderly. Living alone, and having dentures or difficulty swallowing can increase risk. If you see someone clutching their throat, coughing, gagging, wheezing or passed out, would you know what to do?

Up until the 1970’s the procedure for freeing objects obstructing the throat was to deliver sharp blows to the back. The surgeon Henry Heimlich noticed that it was not effective, so he devised a method of using air expelled from the victim’s lungs to propel the object up and out of the throat. The Heimlich maneuver, also called abdominal thrusts, is used only when the victim’s airway is totally obstructed and he is rendered unable to speak, breathe, or to cough the object out. The Heimlich Maneuver is part of every First Aid, CPR, emergency, or general medical training. Countless lives have been saved by preforming the Heimlich Maneuver and it is a very important safety procedure that everyone should know!