Senior citizens are more likely to suffer cardiac arrest outside a hospital, and so I was surprised to learn that Chicago Housing Authority senior buildings and assisted living facilities in Illinois are not required to have on hand automated external defibrillators. Immediate use of defibrillators during cardiac arrest increases the odds of survival. There are states that require AEDs in assisted living and nursing home facilities: Alabama, Florida, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Texas.An AED is crucial when minutes matter. A defibrillator saved Damar Hamlin’s life when the Buffalo Bills safety suffered cardiac arrest during a 2023 game with the Cincinnati Bengals. The on-field medical team’s quick actions ensured he would live to return to the sport he loves. For themore than 350,000 Americanseach year who suffer cardiac arrest outside a hospital, most studies suggest that no more than 10% of these patients survive until hospital discharge. Medical experts say there are much better outcomes for patients who receive rapid care before they reach a hospital. The American Heart Association reports that only about 40% of people who experience an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest get the immediate attention they need before paramedics arrive. In low-income Black and Latino neighborhoods, bystanders are less likely to initiate CPR following cardiac arrest, according to a study conducted by university researchers that was published in the Heart Rhythm medical journal in 2022. The time it takes for emergency medical services to respond to a cardiac arrest can stretch for several minutes. An analysis by the nonprofit newsroom Trace of last year’s medical emergency incidents, including accidents, seizures and shootings through Nov. 19, found that in more than 1 in 5 cases, Chicago EMS took more than six minutes to respond, the state’s threshold for adequate response time. (Notably, it found that data was missing in more than 43,000 incidents.) The Chicago inspector general’s office has expressed issues with EMS response times and missing data. Given these issues with emergency response times, whether to require lifesaving AEDs in all senior buildings is a no-brainer. Every minute counts. Administering the first shock within six minutes of cardiac arrest increases the likelihood of survival. The Illinois Department of Aging was so concerned about this issue that it sought legislation to require AEDs in assisted living facilities. Democratic state Sen. Doris Turner recently introduced a bill that would require assisted living communities and some other facilities in Illinois to have AEDs on-site and train all staff members on how to use them. However, the bill would not apply to CHA senior buildings. As expected, owners of assisted living facilities have expressed opposition to the proposed measure. They argue that Turner’s bill is an unfunded mandate and owners would be stuck paying for the AEDs and staff training. Arguments over cost are negligible when it comes to saving a life.Recently, a West Side resident told me that her husband suffered a heart attack while working at a United States Postal Service facility in Forest Park. She said that by the time the ambulance arrived, her husband, the father of her children, had died. Also, she said none of his colleagues attempted to perform CPR while waiting on paramedics. She would like to see AEDs become mandatory in postal facilities. The Access to AEDs Act, introduced in the 118thCongress in 2023, would require the Department of Health and Human Services to award grants to local educational agencies and to promote student access to defibrillation in elementary and secondary schools. The bill has not been reintroduced in the 119thCongress, and it does not require AEDs in postal facilities.There is no reason to deny senior citizens and others the technology that could save their lives in the event of cardiac arrest. I write this commentary to make those comfortable with not requiring AEDs in senior buildings uncomfortable. Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email .
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