ALF Defibrillator Law

ASSISTED LIVING FACILITY Law H-945
A law, effective July 2010, mandates and helps to fund the placement of Automated External Defibrillators in all Assisted Living Facilities that have 17 or more beds.
H-945 is designed to aid in the initial response and survival time of a heart attack victim.

a) An assisted living facility licensed under this part with 17 or more

beds shall have on the premises at all times a functioning automated

external defibrillator as defined in s. 768.1325(2)(b).

(b) The facility is encouraged to register the location of each automated

external defibrillator with a local emergency medical services medical

director.

(c) The provisions of ss. 768.13 and

The law also makes notation of the added cost and provides funds to help defray the expense to the facility.

Section 2. The sum of $22,447 in recurring funds and $11,200 in

nonrecurring funds from the General Revenue Fund and two full-time

equivalent positions with associated salary rate of 70,229 is appropriated to

the Agency for Health Care Administration for the 2010-2011 fiscal year to

implement the provisions of this act. An additional $113,030 in recurring

funds from the General Revenue Fund is appropriated to the Agency for

Health Care Administration for the 2011-2012 fiscal year for the same

purpose.

Section 3. Except as otherwise expressly provided in this act, this act

shall take effect July 1, 2010.

Approved by the Governor June 3, 2010.

Filed in Office Secretary of State June 3, 2010.

The Deadline to comply is July 2011.

http://laws.flrules.org/files/Ch_2010-200.pdf

TIMING IS EVERYTHING

There is so much to be understood by the common person about the types of heart attacks and the various symptoms that are detected.  But this is one of those occasions when ignorance is NOT bliss. And you would think that as we further educate ourselves, and as we become increasingly aware of our own health, that we would be more vigilant in getting treatment for something that we cannot understand or diagnose ourselves.

But in a report by Jennifer Warner of WebMD we learn that statistics show that from the years 2001 to 2006 the time between when a patient observes symptoms and when that person seeks medical attention averages two hours. TWO HOURS! 60% of these patients reported waiting more than two hours to seek treatment, and even more alarming 11% of these waited as much as 12 hours after experiencing symptoms.

The ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), the most dangerous type of heart attack occurs when one of the hearts arteries has a sudden and complete blockage. But whether the heart attack is discovered to be a STEMI or non-STEMI immediate attention will lessen the damage done to the body.

http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/news/20101107/many-with-heart-attack-symptoms-delay-care

AHA Shares 2020 Impact Goal

From the American Heart Association 2010 report Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics, we see the importance of keeping a constant vigil against the deadliest disease to Americans. According to this report more than one in three adults in America have one or more types of Cardiovascular disease (81,100,000). Approximately 47 percent of these are over the age of 60 (38,100,000).

The AHA lists high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, heart failure, and stroke as Cardiovascular Diseases.

The most recent statistics for one year are from 2006. And in 2006 More than 151,000 American killed by CVD were under the age of 65. Nearly 33 percent of people who died from CVD died before their 75^th birthday.

To put these numbers in better perspective, here is a comparison of other leading causes of death and their mortality rate.

Cardiovascular Diseases: ................... 1,347,000

Cancer................................................. 559,888

Alzheimer’s disease............................... 72,432

HIV (AIDS).............................................. 12,113

In hopes to change these statistics, the American Heart Association has committed to what they are calling the 2020 Impact Goal.

“By 2020, to improve the cardiovascular health of all Americans by 20 percent while reducing deaths from cardiovascular disease and stroke by 20 percent.”