In March of this year, the Irish Heart Foundation, supported by Abbott and ESB Networks, launched a new, free community cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training programme, Hands for Life.

Hands for Life will offer free CPR training to 100,000 people over the next two years, with CPR training courses taking place in local communities throughout the country.

Every year in Ireland 13 people die from a cardiac arrest, with around 70% of these happening at home. Unfortunately, just 6.5% of people in Ireland who have a cardiac arrest in a non-hospital setting survive.

However, it is proven that timely and correct administration of CPR can double if not triple a person’s chance of survival in the event of cardiac arrest.

CPR involves recognising that someone is having a cardiac arrest, contacting the emergency services on 112 or 999, and pushing hard and fast on the chest. CPR is a vital link in the chain of survival after a cardiac arrest.

Through the Hands for Life programme, the Irish Heart Foundation is working to provide people with the skills and confidence to realise their potential as a life-saver, sharing the message that through CPR and their hands they have the potential to save a life.

To help raise awareness of the Hands for Life programme, the Irish Heart Foundation, supported by Abbott and ESB Networks, is working with Aoife McGivney, a heroic nurse who intervened and by performing CPR saved the life of a bus driver who was suffering a cardiac emergency.

Aoife’s experience highlights the importance of knowing CPR and also shows how a single moment can be the difference between losing and saving a life. Speaking about her experience, Aoife said: “The day started out like any other for me, getting on the bus to work in the morning.

"But before long, I found myself on the footpath on O’Connell Street performing CPR on the bus driver. Thankfully, he survived and nobody was hurt. I was lucky enough to know what to do in the situation and my training kicked in instinctively. I know first-hand how important it is to know CPR and that it can be the difference between life and death. I hope that others will be inspired by my story to learn CPR through the Irish Heart Foundation’s Hands for Life free community CPR training courses, supported by Abbott and ESB Networks.”

Speaking about the Hands for Life programme, Tim Collins, CEO of the Irish Heart Foundation, said: “Every day in Ireland, 13 people die from a cardiac arrest. Around 70% of these happen at home in front of a loved one. If there is someone nearby who knows CPR and can start performing compressions quickly, you can double or even triple a person’s chances of survival. At the Irish Heart Foundation, we are on a mission to save lives. We want to create a nation of lifesavers by training as many people as possible in the lifesaving skill of CPR. That’s why we’ve developed the Hands for Life programme and now thanks to the support of Abbott and ESB Networks, we will train 100,000 people in the next two years which will in turn improve people’s chances of surviving a cardiac arrest in Ireland.”

Training

Hands for Life training courses will take place in local community centres, clubs and libraries across Ireland over the next two years.

The free training courses are open to all over the age of 18 and take just under one hour to complete.

During the training course, attendees will learn how to perform CPR with hands-on practice on a manikin. Attendees will learn how to:

  • Recognise a cardiac arrest.
  • Perform compressions, including hands-on practice on a CPR training manikin.
  • Use an AED (automated external defibrillator).
  • Respond to a choking emergency.
  • Recognise a stroke.
  • Once completed, attendees will know how to perform CPR and will feel fully equipped to use their newly found skills in a cardiac emergency.

    Hands for Life training courses are being held in communities throughout Ireland and are open to everyone over 18.

    For communities, groups and clubs who have 30 or more people interested in a free Hands for Life training course, the Irish Heart Foundation will assist in organising a course in their area. To arrange training in your area, you can contact the Irish Heart Foundation directly on 01-668 5001 or email handsforlife@irishheart.ie.

    For more information and to sign up for a free Hands for Life training course in your area, visit www.HandsForLife.ie.

    *Jane Moloney is a marketing specialist with ESB Networks