Fijian Caregivers Learn Lifesaving Skills

A Fijian-owned homecare agency in the United States of America is making an effort to regularly refreshed caregivers in their Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and first aid training to save clients from cardiac arrest.

CPR can double or triple the chances of survival.

For this reason, Divine Fijians Home Care (DFHC) employees regularly have refreshed CPR and first aid training to save clients from cardiac arrest.

Cardiac arrest occurs when the heart suddenly and unexpectedly stops beating. According to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 356,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur each year in the U.S, with the majority affecting the elderly.

DFHC, in partnership with Vive CPR, trained 23 caregivers recently, equipping them with the necessary skills to save lives.

Vive CPR is an American Heart Association (AHA) certified training site based in Sonoma County, offering high-quality training that complies with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations.

The staff and caregivers were really interested in completing their training, said Vive CPR instructor, Aaron Bates.

“CPR is a bridge to save someone’s life because if someone experiences cardiac arrest, it acts in place of the heart,” he said.

“You do those things that the person is not able to do for themselves until experts arrive. Community and bystanders CPR is the essential link to survive cardiac arrest.”

The training is essential for caregivers, and it is required by the State of California.

The lives of those whom we care for are as important as ours, says DFHC chief executive officer, Poasa Koroitamana.

“We do not only want to be equipped, but we also want to advance in our training. Caregivers are rigorously trained for emergencies,” he said

So far this year, 23 caregivers completed CPR and first aid training, in addition to the 30 caregivers who received home care aide training.

“We discussed training efforts at length during our corporate meeting in January and it is encouraging to see employees respond to our invite.”

Rachelle Reese, a participant and DFHC employee, is confident to apply her skills in an emergency.

“They have good materials, and they explained every step really well,” she said.

“It was knowledgeable.”

Background

DFHC is a trusted provider of non-medical homecare services in California, and has been recognised as one of the Top 4 ‘Best of 2024 Home Care’ providers in Santa Rosa by Business Rate.

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