LBS trains elderly in emergency response skills

Participants from the Senior Management Programme 99 of the Lagos Business School, on Thursday, trained elderly residents of the Lagos Old People’s Home in Yaba, Lagos State, on fundamental emergency response skills.

The team also donated physiotherapy and exercise equipment to the home and refurbished the physiotherapy area to make it more welcoming and engaging.

The intervention, conducted under the “Dignified Ageing Initiative”, was led by Adaeze Onwubuemeli, who explained that the project aimed to enhance the well-being of elderly residents and encourage active ageing.

She said the initiative was designed to tackle the neglect often experienced by older people in society while also encouraging them to stay active and healthy.

“The idea was to impact the elders under the team’s Dignified Ageing Initiative. We are reminding them of their importance, the value of working out and the benefits of staying healthy. We equipped the physiotherapy room with dumbbells and other equipment to help them work out. We also beautified the space, including wall art to encourage them,” she said.

Onwubuemeli described the initiative as a sustainable intervention rather than a one-off project, noting that an on-site physiotherapist would ensure continuity of care and exercise routines.

She disclosed that participation among residents had improved significantly following the intervention, estimating an increase of about 70 per cent in engagement, and noted that the initiative was not only academic but also aimed at delivering tangible social impact.

She said, “Three weeks ago, this place was almost empty, but today you can see the impact. They are dancing, chatting, and moving around independently. The change is obvious. This is beyond just a project. It’s about contributing to society and supporting an important but often overlooked group.”

During the visit, an emergency nurse and educator, Deborah Adeleke, who was engaged by the team, facilitated a cardiopulmonary resuscitation training session for the elderly residents. At least four participants took part in practical demonstrations.

She explained that the training was necessary due to the vulnerability of older adults to cardiac arrest and the importance of prompt response in emergencies.

“We know cardiac arrest is very common among the elderly. What you do within one to two minutes goes a long way. We were able to make them practise, and the response was good,” she said.