Grandparents volunteer to act out medical scenarios for paramedic training
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ST. CHARLES COUNTY, Mo. (Aging Untold) — Just outside St. Louis, a group known as “The Memaw Brigade” plays a critical role in the community.
This safety-minded group of grandmothers and grandfathers helps first responders better diagnose falls.
Millions of visits to the emergency rooms each year are due to falls, and around a million fall-related hospitalizations occur, according to the CDC.
The seniors of “The Memaw Brigade” help St. Charles County Ambulance District first responders with their training by acting out medical emergencies.
“The geriatric population is our number one fall patients. So what I like to do is actually use real-life patients, and they came out and volunteered with us,” said Jaclyn Kloecker, training officer.
New Perspective in Weldon Spring is a senior living facility that has hosted the EMTs.
“Yeah, I think it’s great,” said Sofia Bax, who volunteered for the Memaw Brigade. She’s playing the part of someone with sepsis.
“They have to stay knowledgeable. They have to be able to pick us old people up.”
About 400 paramedics and firefighters in the St. Charles County, Missouri ambulance district took part in Memaw training.
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