Rod Brouhard

Sometimes I wonder how useful any first aid book can be, because in a real emergency, who takes time to read a book? Rod Brouhard strikes a good balance between giving you the facts FAST (for real emergencies) and entertaining you so that you'll read the whole book (helping you prepare BEFORE the emergency).

For example, the very first page begins with six reasons to put the book down right now and call 911. After listing the six, Brouhard says, "Assuming these emergencies aren't happening show more right now, I encourage you to read on," and he continues with a funny account of teaching kindergartners about 911, a story that has lessons for us grownups.

I think Brouhard's voice is the best part of the book; he explains things that seniors might not know, like the difference between a cordless phone and a wireless phone, without once condescending. His stories are backed up with years of experience as an EMT, and he has a good sense of humor. For example, one chapter (about accidental falls) is called "Have a Nice Trip; See You Next Fall." And his directions (for everything from splinter removal to amputations) are very easy to understand. The book gives internet URLs for more information, and it contains some information that I haven't seen anywhere else, such as an overview of different types of medic alert services.

I took off a half star because there were some photos I wish I hadn't seen, such as a photo of a gaping wound. That is probably too squeamish of me, since I guess that photo could be useful for someone trying to decide whether stitches are needed. Until the wound photos, I was wishing that the book had photos in color. After the wound photos, I was glad the whole book was black & white.

Even the stories will have special interest for seniors, such as one story about a grandpa who had heart trouble while watching his 9yo grandson and unwisely tried to drive them both to the emergency room. (That one has a happy ending, fortunately, but it was close.)

But honestly, I think this book would be useful for any household, not just a senior citizen household. It gives information about first aid for all ages (e.g., infant cpr) because grandparents are caregivers too. show less

This is a book that should be read, reread and then placed near at hand so that it might be referenced when need arises. It is succinct, readable, and informative. Although it is written with seniors and senior care givers as its primary audiences, it is directly applicable to parents and others, such as teachers, who are apt to be called upon for dealing with life’s emergencies.
Good books of this nature tell us what to do; better books also tell us what not to do including things we show more might have learned from parents or older information sources that have proven to be either ineffective or downright contra-indicated. This is one of those better books. It is logically divided into four sections The first lays the groundwork with some general guidance. Section II focuses on the most dire of eventualities: what to do when lives are at stake. A wide range of specific illnesses and injuries are discussed in the third section; it is this part of the book most apt to be referenced when specific emergencies are encountered. Each chapter or subsection includes a flow chart to guide the decision process to treat or call for help and numerous illustrations augment the text. The last section shifts the perspective from the patient to the hazardous situations and environments that are apt to be encountered and the precautions that should be taken to avoid situations or to treat the consequences.
Like many health and safety manuals of this nature, it should be read from cover to cover at least once and, preferably, multiple times not only so that its principle points can be learned but also so that its structure can be engrained to enable quick reference to an applicable item when the need arises.
The single fault I find with this book is related to that last point – its use as a reference guide when time is or may be of essence and is not related to its content or readability but to its use. The binding inhibits its utility; the book does not open and lay flat. This causes difficulty when, for instance, one hand holds a compress over a wound and the other leafs through the manual to see what needs to be done next. A spiral or ring binding would be much more preferable. Tabs to indicate content location would also help in this regard.
Bottom line: it is a good buy worthy of study but be prepared for some frustration when used as an on the spot reference guide. show less

Reading this book was like chatting with a friendly neighbor who just happens to be a paramedic.

The tone is conversational yet to the point and covers just about every situation that can come up in regards to "oops" moments in senior care. Author Rod Brouhard shares what he has learned in his 20+ yrs of working in emergency medical services (EMS) and I found it interesting and informative seeing medical care from that perspective (as opposed to a doctor/nurse viewpoint). Brouhard carefully show more walks you through the 6 reasons that are immediate causes to call 911 (and also gives an extremely important info on how to make the call/talk to the dispacher - which is more complicated than it appears). Further topics are: compiling a medical history (an important thing to do in advance of needing EMS), safety and first aid gear, how to deal with medications, life saving skills, how to deal with injuries and illnesses (which was surprisingly different for seniors as opposed to other adults) and finally, dealing with environmental issue (from weather to traveling). The book is comprehensive and strikes just the right balance between lay person speak and medical jargon.

That said, I do have some caveats about this book.

First, while this is a great medical reference, it is not a book you want to open for the first time DURING an emergency. To get the most benefit from it I would strongly recommend that it be read through, at least once, before having "need" of it. Just like a conversation, this book occasionlly gets off track and/or scatters information around in several places. I also found some sentence structure unclear at times. Best to clear up any confusion before an emergency (an "on the Internet" section at the end of each chapter was very helpful with this). Second, there was a nifty flow chart graphic that was used for some of the medical situations - I would like to have seen more situations using this device. And lastly, while there were a number of pictures in the book, they were not labeled so sometimes there was some guesswork involved as to what body part I was looking at (gee, I really HOPE that's a knee I'm looking at).

These minor issues aside, I found myself really enjoying the book. The personal stories were interesting (although I will never look at a broom handle again without cringing a little) and the book, as a whole, was well written. And even though the target audience for this book is seniors, I would recommend this book for anyone in need of a first aid type medical reference. show less

It may be a little weird to say, but paramedics, in my experience, have been great folks. Rod Brouhard, the author of Life's Little Emergencies, seems to be no exception. There are some tales from his experience in the field that make this more than an average first aid reference book, warm and funny and ultimately rather comforting, which do not take away from its utility as a first aid reference book. It's all here, from bumps and bruises to major catastrophes, the topics organized to be show more located easily when they're needed and clearly and effectively illustrated.

The subtitle of the book is "A Handbook for Active Independent Seniors and Caregivers", which – the latter part being applicable to me – was what prompted me to put my name in for the book on LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program. However, while the senior-oriented sections of the book are expanded, this is a good book to have handy for anyone's little emergencies. show less