Albacare Ltd

06/02/2026

Some very important information definitely worth sharing from the Stroke Association!

Life changes in an instant after a haemorrhagic stroke, and around half of people who are affected do not survive.

Thankfully, when it happened to Natalie's dad in 2025, he did survive.

'I'd been in the office all day,' Natalie remembers. She rang her parents to check in on them, 'We were scheduled to go on a trip that we were all excited about.'

Her parents explained that her dad had been feeling unwell throughout the day and was not quite himself. He was dizzy, frequently bumping into things, had a severe headache, and his blood pressure was very high when they tested it on a home monitor.

Because her dad did not have the three most common signs of stroke—face drooping, arm weakness, and speech problems, known as the FAST test—no one initially suspected a stroke.

At first, her parents were reluctant to contact a health professional, wanting to ‘avoid making a fuss’. But after some convincing, they rang 111.

An appointment was made for Urgent Care, which was quickly escalated to an A&E visit.

'When I arrived to pick them up,' Natalie said, 'they explained an ambulance had been offered but, not wanting to inconvenience anyone, they turned it down.' So Natalie drove her parents to a regional hospital further away.

Once there, after initial tests, the seriousness of the situation became clear. In a small consultation room in the early hours of the morning, Natalie was told her dad 'has a large and severe brain bleed'.

‘The news came as a huge shock and the effects will impact us forever as we navigate this new version of family life.’

Natalie admits that before it happened, she had ‘limited knowledge of strokes… but the parts I did know about, like FAST, were not relevant when my dad had a “massive brain bleed”.

'I felt compelled to create this sketchnote as I don’t think any of us could have predicted his stroke from his symptoms, because they didn't align with the traditional FAST signs.

‘Of course, a little cartoon in a sketchnote can’t fully convey everything we saw that day, or how my dad felt,’ she says, ‘but if it helps even one person become more aware of the lesser-known signs of stroke, then it will be worth it.’

28/11/2025

Here is an important focus in defibrillator pad placement from the 2025 guideline changes. 👍Sharing's Caring 🚑

28/11/2025

🚑This is an incredibly important point, we always discuss local defibrillators on our courses. If your community has defibrillators, are they available for the emergency services to find if you want them to be available? 📞 Here's some information about where defibrillators are registered, so 999 can find them to send callers to. Let's help increase the chances of survival for out of hospital cardiac arrests! 🏃‍➡️

Defib finder uses data from The Circuit, the national defibrillator network, to help you find information about the nearest defibrillators to you.

29/10/2025

A wee story about the face of resusci Annie ❤️

The face of the CPR dummy is based on the face of an unidentified young woman who was found in the Seine River in Paris around the late 1880s or 1890s.

Her calm, gentle expression drew the attention of a pathologist who made a cast of her face, and replicas of it became known across Europe as L’Inconnue de la Seine (“The Unknown Woman of the Seine”).

In the 1950s, Norwegian toymaker Asmund Laerdal, who was developing the first realistic CPR training mannequin, chose that same face as the model for Resusci Anne.

02/09/2025

Early CPR is vital for the survival of cardiac arrest casualties 🚑 Stories like this give us hope and the more people who are trained and able to give CPR, the higher chance of survival we can give! Help save a live, learn CPR 🙌

The few who survive an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest are often still here because a loved one performed CPR until emergency services arrived.

That was the case for Morgan, a fit and healthy 23 year old rugby player whose girlfriend was CPR trained and stepped in when it mattered most.

Read more: https://bit.ly/4mlxpTM

22/08/2025

- taking a step away from serious first aid things 🚑 lets take a look at one of Scotland's biggest products! Irn Bru adverts are always tongue in cheek - this one's a belter! Have a good Friday everyone! 💙🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿💙

20/08/2025

Looking to get a defibrillator for your community? Apply for one now! 🚑❤️‍🩹

In some areas of the UK, the nearest 24/7 accessible defibrillator is over 10 minutes away. Each minute without CPR and defibrillation reduces the chance of surviving an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest by up to 10%.

Apply for a free defibrillator for your community through the Community Defibrillator Funding Programme. It’s open to non-profits, local groups, places of worship, councils, and more. Find out if you meet the criteria here: https://bit.ly/4lKV27X

18/08/2025

11/08/2025

🚑 TV dramas can make medical emergencies look dramatic—but not always accurate.
At Albacare, we know real life is very different.
Here's a brilliant explanation of why recognising that difference really matters. 👇

If you’ve ever watched a dramatic resuscitation scene on TV, you’ll know the setup. Someone collapses, the hero jumps into action, a few firm chest compressions, maybe a dramatic shout of "Don’t you die on me!", and moments later, they’re sitting up, gasping for air, saved just in time.

25/07/2025

02/05/2025

😴 Is the nightly symphony in your bedroom less 'gentle lullaby' and more 'industrial metal concert featuring a startled walrus'? 😩 Does the phrase 'I'm just nipping to the loo' secretly mean 'I'm escaping to the blessed silence of the sofa... again'?

It's National Stop Snoring Week, folks! And let's be brutally honest, that nightly noise pollution isn't just wrecking your precious sleep and turning you into a permanently caffeinated gremlin by 9 AM... it's a sneaky attack on your mental well-being! 🤯

Think about it:

For the Listener: The constant dread before bedtime? The fractured sleep leaving you anxious and irritable? The simmering resentment that mysteriously vanishes after your morning cuppa (mostly)? That's your sanity crying out for help!
For the Snorer: Often, loud snoring means they aren't getting quality shut-eye either (hello, sleep apnea risks!). This can lead to daytime fatigue, brain fog, and feeling permanently grumpy... impacting their mental health too!
This week, let's reclaim the peace (and our collective sanity!). Maybe it's time for a gentle nudge towards checking it out (or perhaps a slightly less gentle shove towards the GP 😉). Your mental health (both of yours!) could seriously thank you for it.

25/04/2025

Spaces available for our Promoting Better Sleep Course 😴🎓ONLINE – Zoom Platform 💻

Being sleep deprived can impact on every aspect of our daily life, from our abilities at work to our relationships and family dynamics. This course looks at the changes we can make and techniques we can use to improve the quality and quantity of our sleep and improve our overall health.

Course Details:
💻 ONLINE – Zoom Platform
🗓 29th April, 7th May, 13th May
⏰ 6pm – 8pm

To reserve a place on this course, please email Lisa Alexander:
lisa.alexander@fdamh.org.uk