Senior Connections Receives An AED For the Senior Center

What an action-packed month July 2023 has been. The Ice Cream Social was the highlight of the month and everyone had such a great time. There were 52 people at Senior Connections on Tuesday, July 25, who came in for a cool ice cream treat, and we had 15 new members submit their applications.

Please check the 2023 monthly calendars online at www.srconnections.org for dates and times of the different activities.

The upcoming August Lunch & Learn series includes: • Monday, Aug. 14, Amanda Brown from Anytime Fitness in Schulenburg will be in the house to tell members about their Senior Fit program and how Senior Connections can partner to provide some safe physical moves for seniors to do at Senior Connections.

• Monday, Aug. 21, Schulenburg Justice of the Peace Paul Zapalac will join for lunch to tell members what happens in a typical week for a Justice of the Peace and how they add value to the community.

• Monday, Aug. 28, Senior Connections will wind down the month with a feedback session with members. Please plan to attend because hearing from members really helps with planning, especially planning day trips and outings.

While Senior Connections was preparing for the July 27 board meeting, Schulenburg Mayor Connie Koopmann and City Administrator Tami Walker visited.

Senior Connections has been worried about being able to care for members as much as we can. We saw on the news where athletes who are in shape and healthy can have a cardiac arrest, at any given moment. This caused us to worry about a similar incident happening at the center and what we would do. When we discussed this with our Mayor and City Administrator, they became concerned as well.

They took positive action and made something happen that makes members all safer. Mayor Connie Koopmann and City Administrator Tami Walker brought Senior Connections an Automatic External Defibrillator. What is that, you may ask. They call them AEDs and they save lives. AEDs are used to revive someone from sudden cardiac arrest. This usually occurs when a disruption in the heart’s electrical activity causes a dangerously fast heartbeat (ventricular tachycardia) or a fast and irregular heartbeat (ventricular fibrillation). Either of these irregular heart rhythms keeps the heart from pumping effectively and can cause it to stop.

When this happens, the brain and other vital organs don’t get the blood and oxygen they need. This requires treatment within minutes to prevent death. The sooner the heart’s rhythm is restored, the greater the chance there won’t be permanent damage to the brain and other organs.

If an AED is near someone having ventricular fibrillation or ventricular tachycardia, a bystander in a public place or a family member can use it to jolt the heart back to a regular rhythm. Using the AED could possibly save a life.

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) after cardiac arrest can keep blood flowing to the heart and brain for a time. But often only defibrillation can restore the heart’s rhythm. Together these treatments can improve the chances of survival.

Fayette County EMS Director will provide the training to staff and lead volunteers so that we are confident in our abilities to deliver the services we need to for members.