[lovinganimals]

Yesterday when at the starter for Truman, we were told a man had "gone down" on the first hole so we had to wait. Although I am not a nurse, I am in the medical field so I had my husband run our cart over as the ambulance had not gotten there yet and I saw him lying face down on the green with everyone standing around. I knelt down by him and saw his face all covered in blood. He had what the others described as "seizure like" movements and then fell face down. He was awake but not really alert, not completely coherent. I checked his pulse with my fingers and tried to talk to him and looked him over until the ambulance got there. When I got back to the starter, I asked why no one had brought over an AED (automated external defibrillator). I was told "they tried, but it was locked up and no one had the key"!!!!! If this man was having a heart attack or was in an irregular heart rhythm, the AED would recognize the rhythm and inform me to shock him to try to get him out of it. It could have meant the difference between this man living or dying. I am greatly disappointed in this situation.

[Villager Joyce]

My prayers are with the man and his family. Hopefully a lesson will be learned by this experience. Thank you for stepping in and helping.

[Chazz]

Lovinganimals,

You are so right, about how the AED situation could have been disastrous. If it happened at Truman, I wouldn't be surprised if similar situations exist at other TV courses. Did you call anyone in TV golf management to inform them?

[buggyone]

I am also surprised that all the starters are not given keys to the AED boxes. i am sure that AEDs are at every starter shack - or they should be! Training in the use of the AED should be a requirement for being a starter or ambassador.

This incident actually happened at the first hole of Roosevelt - which is basically the same as the first at Truman.

[Bogie Shooter]

Originally Posted by lovinganimals

Yesterday when at the starter for Truman, we were told a man had "gone down" on the first hole so we had to wait. Although I am not a nurse, I am in the medical field so I had my husband run our cart over as the ambulance had not gotten there yet and I saw him lying face down on the green with everyone standing around. I knelt down by him and saw his face all covered in blood. He had what the others described as "seizure like" movements and then fell face down. He was awake but not really alert, not completely coherent. I checked his pulse with my fingers and tried to talk to him and looked him over until the ambulance got there. When I got back to the starter, I asked why no one had brought over an AED (automated external defibrillator). I was told "they tried, but it was locked up and no one had the key"!!!!! If this man was having a heart attack or was in an irregular heart rhythm, the AED would recognize the rhythm and inform me to shock him to try to get him out of it. It could have meant the difference between this man living or dying. I am greatly disappointed in this situation.

Thank you for what you did.
However, posting here accomplishes nothing, other than inform readers of TOTV.
I suggest you contact these folks and express your disappointment. (They cannot fix something unless they know its broken.)
I for one would like to know what response you receive.
_____________________________________________
Public Safety
3035 Morse Boulevard
The Villages, FL 32163

Phone: 352-205-8280
Fax: 352-205-8290

Business Hours for Administration:
8am to 5pm, EST
Monday � Friday
Excluding Holidays

_______________________________________________
The Villages Golf and County Club Administration
1000 Main Street suite 248
The Villages, FL 32159
352-753-3396

[Abster]

I hope and pray this gentleman will be okay. I am also saddened to hear no one could get to this life saving equipment. This is a retirement community and you would certainly expect more. Not to change the subject BUT I hate going to the square. I push my husband in a wheelchair. There are many times we are heading one direction and have to do a Uturn because there is no handicap access...no way onto or off sidewalks. Are you kidding me? In a village full of old people? This community is this old and these serious problems have never been addressed? I am so happy this is NOT my primary residence.

[Bogie Shooter]

Originally Posted by Abster

I hope and pray this gentleman will be okay. I am also saddened to hear no one could get to this life saving equipment. This is a retirement community and you would certainly expect more. Not to change the subject BUT I hate going to the square. I push my husband in a wheelchair. There are many times we are heading one direction and have to do a Uturn because there is no handicap access...no way onto or off sidewalks. Are you kidding me? In a village full of old people? This community is this old and these serious problems have never been addressed? I am so happy this is NOT my primary residence.

Where in particular, seems like all the corners have lowered curbs?
Also don't know how to take your last sentence, is it your second residence?

[kittygilchrist]

hmm, I'm not a medical professional but I am trained in AED. I wasn't trained to use it on people who are conscious and have a pulse.
NIH site below appears to agree with the way my training presented it:
https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/hea.../howtouse.html

Also, who owns the AED? that's likely who has keys. My neighborhood bought them and we all contribute for them and 50 of us have keys and are trained. 911 calls for addresses only within the neighborhood are assessed for an unconscious victim who may have cardiac arrest. Only then is a call dispatched to activate our network.

If a golfer on the course behind my house had cardiac arrest, our network would not be notified of it, even though I could get an AED to the victim more quickly than EMT's.

[Whatever]

I too am a first responder and would suggest that all AED boxes be keyed alike in The Villages. If that were the the case, I would suggest that they be carried around with the cart and car key for situations that were descibed by the OP.

[Bogie Shooter]

Originally Posted by Whatever

I too am a first responder and would suggest that all AED boxes be keyed alike in The Villages. If that were the the case, I would suggest that they be carried around with the cart and car key for situations that were descibed by the OP.

Carried by whom?

[lovinganimals]

hmm, I'm not a medical professional but I am trained in AED. I wasn't trained to use it on people who are conscious and have a pulse.-Kitty

I also questioned a doctor I work with about using it on a person who has a pulse and his response was to hook them up because the AED assesses their pulse and tells you if a shock is needed. I do nuclear stress testing and have seen people in V-fib and V-tach who are conscious and need to be shocked to bring them back to a normal rhythm. So having them hooked up to the AED is at least one way we can help them before EMS arrives. I am just glad I did not get to this man and have him be unconscious with no pulse and NOT have an AED. Yes I could do CPR, but I would not do breaths because his mouth was full of blood (but they have shown CPR to be helpful even without breaths) but nothing replaces an AED in that situation.
I will call Truman/Roosevelt rec center or the appropriate people and inform them of the situation as someone suggested.

[billethkid]

Originally Posted by lovinganimals

I am greatly disappointed in this situation.

Your title for the thread stated disappointment in TV......however your more accurate statement is the last sentence in your post as shown above.

Too often too many people tar TV for the consequences of an isolated incident. I am glad to see that is not the case here. I am always amused at those who are so ready to accept the onsey twosey scenarios as an incrimination of the whole....like being glad this is no one's primary residence because of an instance that thus far NO ONE has done any more that speculate at best and extrapolated the incident at worst!!!

I would look into the nobody has the key answer because that is not the way the system of AEDs are put in and people trained. There is definitely more to that "story". I am only speaking from the training and routine that we went through when we put the AEDs in our neighborhood.

I am not doubting or challenging the word of the OP........I would just like to know more about why the AED routine did not work as intended.......

[2BNTV]

Originally Posted by lovinganimals

hmm, I'm not a medical professional but I am trained in AED. I wasn't trained to use it on people who are conscious and have a pulse.-Kitty

I also questioned a doctor I work with about using it on a person who has a pulse and his response was to hook them up because the AED assesses their pulse and tells you if a shock is needed. I do nuclear stress testing and have seen people in V-fib and V-tach who are conscious and need to be shocked to bring them back to a normal rhythm. So having them hooked up to the AED is at least one way we can help them before EMS arrives. I am just glad I did not get to this man and have him be unconscious with no pulse and NOT have an AED. Yes I could do CPR, but I would not do breaths because his mouth was full of blood (but they have shown CPR to be helpful even without breaths) but nothing replaces an AED in that situation.
I will call Truman/Roosevelt rec center or the appropriate people and inform them of the situation as someone suggested.

I want to commend you for stepping up in this situation.

[douga]

I was playing the first hole at Truman when this happened. A scary thing to be sure as he was face down,bleeding and convulsing. Two of us ran over immediately but not being trained medically there was nothing we could do but wait at the gate and direct the ambulance.

Special thanks should indeed go to the lady who helped but also to the man playing with this gentleman who immediately ran back to the starter to get help. I was also impressed that the medial personnel arrived in less than five minutes after being called. Hopefully this quick action by everyone helped the gentleman who was having trouble.

[Abster]

Originally Posted by Bogie Shooter

Where in particular, seems like all the corners have lowered curbs?
Also don't know how to take your last sentence, is it your second residence?

Take a walk around LSL. You'll soon all the sidewalks are not accessible on both ends. Also, notice how few Handicapped parking spaces there are???? Absolutely insane. Yes, this is just a get away place for us. We have an oceanfront home a few hours away. We bought here for the lifestyle but found it's too crowded to really enjoy. We do have a lot of friends who have second homes here - for the winter golf. I personally feel it's far too crowded and it's beginning to show it's got the same problems as any other community out there - thieves, sex offenders, drug and alcohol abuse...