Close

Archive for category: Sports and Leisure

by

Schooling on Pooling

Julie Entwistle, MBA, BHSc (OT), BSc (Health / Gerontology)

In celebration of July, I wanted to repost a previous blog from last summer on pool safety. These are always good things to review and consider…especially this time of year.

I was a fortunate child who grew up with an in-ground pool. As the only house on the street with a pool in our yard, the neighborhood kids would loiter around our home hoping for an invite. My mom developed a wonderful system using a Canada flag. If the flag on our fence was up – everyone was welcome for a swim. The only rule was that the kids needed to bring a parent. Mandatory. And despite the kids that would sit on our lawn whining about not having an adult to join them, my mom was firm to the rule.

We have a pool in our yard. This is separately fenced. As our kids are getting older, and have been able to swim for years, we are giving them more freedom around the pool. As long as an adult is home, they are welcome to swim. However, last year I was reminded of an important lesson – just because my kids can swim, that is not necessarily true for others of the same age. We had a pool party for our twins’ birthday and all the kids arrived and proceeded to jump in the pool. One child was hanging around the shallow end and I asked her if she could swim – nope. I was surprised that in dropping her off to a pool party, her parents would not mention this very important fact.

Two summers ago on a street very close to mine an 18 month old child drowned when he was able to get outside while his father had a 15 minute nap. Drowning is the second most common cause of accidental death among children aged 14 and under in Ontario, after motor vehicle accidents. Yet, like many risks, drowning is absolutely preventable. Here are some safety precautions to consider:

Constant and vigilant supervision. Supervision of any child is a full-time job. Most drowning’s occur when a child is playing near the water and falls in – not while “swimming”. So, when it comes to kids, the “within arm’s reach” rule should always apply – whether they are in, or around, water.

Using safety devices for the pool. These could include:

o Poolside Alarm– A motion sensor is installed along the pool edge, which sounds an alarm when waves are detected from a body falling into the water.

o Child Immersion Alarm– A wristband worn by a child, which will sound an alarm when they come into contact with water.

o Pool Fences– Fences should be at least four feet tall, surround the entire pool and have self-latching gates out of the reach of children. Speclocks prevent children from entering the pool area, as they are complex or require adult strength to open. Gate alarms can also be installed to alert when the gate is unexpectedly opened.

o Pool Covers– A cover built to fit your pool dimensions will act as a barrier for a falling body, as they will not enter the water.

o Door locks – special locks, difficult for children to open and installed at the top of a door, prevent kids from being able to get into the yard without an adult.

Use life jackets, not just floaties. If your child is not a strong swimmer, they should always be wearing a life jacket – in a pool, at the beach, or on a boat. Like wearing a seat-belt and helmet, children should be taught from a young age that wearing a life jacket is necessary around water. From a functional standpoint, life jackets are safer than floaties. Floaties can develop small holes that actually fill with water, or can deflate, causing the child to slowly sink lower into the water. A well-fitting life jacket is designed to keep a child’s head above water, and to flip a child over onto their back to facilitate breathing. They cannot deflate. It also provides something for an adult to grasp if they need to pull the child out of the water.

Know the signs of drowning. Contrary to popular belief, drowning does not happen when people are flailing their arms, yelling and calling for help. It is actually the opposite. People that are getting into trouble in the water often look like they are climbing an invisible ladder. They can’t yell or cry for help as their body is low on oxygen and is focused on trying to keep air in, not yell it out. Know the signs – check out this link for the “8 Quiet Signs of Drowning.”

Knowledge of first aid. Parents should always consider having knowledge of CPR or basic water rescue. This could prove handy for many situations beyond just water safety.

Swimming lessons. Give your kids a head start by helping them to become comfortable in the water from a young age. Every minute they can stay afloat could save their life.

But remember, when it comes to children, nothing is safer than diligent and attentive supervision.

by

Camp In The Great Outdoors

Summer is a great time to spend time with nature…and many do so by camping.  Whether you camp in a tent, pop-up trailer, RV or the newest fad of “glamping” camping is a healthy, environmentally friendly, and fun way to spend time outdoors.  Greatist.com has compiled a list of “foolproof tips for camping” so check it out before you go so your camping adventure is a positive one!

Greatist:  Know Before You Go: 18 Tips for Foolproof Camping

 

by

Cheer Up the Lonely Day

Tomorrow, July 11th, is “cheer up the lonely day.” A day to contact those you’ve lost touch with, reach out to someone who is suffering, or give your time to help a complete stranger in need. Many seniors in the community, whether in their own homes or long-term care facilities, are often in need of company and companionship and many local programs help facilitate phone calls or visits for those in need. Big Brothers and Big Sisters associations help to pair disadvantaged children with a caring adult. It has long been known that volunteering is good for your mental health, but recent studies show that giving of yourself is actually beneficial to your physical health and could possibly add years to your life. Check out the following from CTV news and on this “cheer up the lonely day” think of volunteering, reaching out, or helping someone in need.

CTV News:  Volunteering Could Add Years To Your Life

by

Capturing the Moment or Missing it Altogether?

Julie Entwistle, MBA, BHSc (OT), BSc (Health / Gerontology)

I love the song “Scare Away the Dark” by Passenger. Some of the lyrics have powerful insinuations: “we should stare at the stars and not just at screens”…”we want something real not just hashtag and twitter”…”we are all slowly dying in front of computers”. I believe there is significant truth to what he is saying. The technology pendulum has swung so far in the direction of obsession and I am personally looking forward to it bouncing back to some form of neutral.

If addiction is defined as “the state of being enslaved to a habit or practice that is physically or psychologically habit forming to such an extent that its cessation causes severe trauma…or “usage of something that is beyond voluntary control” then I would argue that technology applies, and many people have a serious problem.

On a recent holiday the evidence of this was immense. On one occasion I saw three young women on a horse-drawn carriage ride (a $50 experience I might add) and they were all looking at their phones. Were they texting, tweeting, posting on FB “loving my horse drawn carriage ride”, or maybe playing candy crush, instagramming a photo, taking a selfie? Or the families sitting at dinner looking down, using their devices, essentially ignoring each other. Or the guy at the theme park videotaping his experience – he was even videotaping while a photographer was taking their family photo! I am not sure it matters what these people’s intentions were with their devices, but I felt that in perhaps trying to capture these moments they were missing them completely. Look around, talk to each other, take in the sights, sounds, smells, be mindful of the fragility of life and take a moment to be grateful for the experience. Connect. Engage. Smile at a person, not just a screen.

Now don’t get me wrong, I am all for capturing moments. But some moments need to be captured by our eyes and filed in our brain, not just on a device, memory card, or online. The concept of being present includes enjoying moments while you are in them – without living in the past or obsessing about the future. How can we do this? Enlightened Living suggests that being present involves recognizing that we can only do ONE thing at a time and thus we should engage wholeheartedly. Taking a photo while trying to absorb a moment are two tasks that cannot happen simultaneously. Thus why people feel that “life has passed them by”…they were never there to fully experience it in the first place.

So every once in a while check your addiction. Step away from your phone. Take technology away from your children. Leave it at home. Don’t take it on vacation. Set rules for technology behavior. In our house we have significant rules for screen use, including a 17 clause contract our daughter signed in getting her first cell phone at age 14. Rule # 1: The phone cannot be used to be mean to anyone – directly or indirectly. Rule # 2: Proper grammar and spelling must be used when communicating. Rule # 4 and 5: The phone is not allowed upstairs and cannot be used during family or meal times. Rule # 9: I will not use my phone to take photos or video of people without their permission. I will not post or share photos or video without consent of the people in them. Rule # 15: I will follow classroom and teacher rules for phone use when at school. Rule # 16: I understand this is not an appendage and obsessive use will not be tolerated. Rule # 17 is a list of reasons for repossession. My 14 and 12 year olds read the contract together. At the end my 12 year old said “so, what CAN she do”?

Do you feel sorry for my kid? Don’t. The real reason for the contract was not because she needs to be rigidly structured, but because I, as a new parent of a kid with a cell phone, was not comfortable with the entire concept in the first place. At 14 (and younger) kids are not developmentally able to understand and grasp the full impact of this new power in their possession. That is why there are recommended ages for Facebook (14), and age-specific laws for driving and drinking. They are young, naïve, immature, and still learning the ways of the world. I have a responsibility to be her guide, as effortful as that is. In the end, the contract worked to set out the expectations, establish boundaries, communicate about safety and proper use, and helped us recognize the need to adapt as a family to the transition of now raising teenagers, not just “kids”. But my true intent was to make sure that I don’t teach her, or worse, model for her, that technology trumps experiences, replaces in-person relationships, or is a valuable way to tick away the proverbial time bomb that is life.

So, try if you can to capture moments by being present, and by using your born faculties to photograph, store and file your memories – not just a device. Check in with yourself at times about your behaviors, track these, shock your system with some detox, set some boundaries and try to unplug.

by

Happy Canada Day!

A day when we don our red and white, proudly fly our maple leaf flags and celebrate the country we call home. Every year for Canada Day Maclean’s Magazine compiles a list of “99 reasons why it’s better to be Canadian.” From hockey to comedians, and beer to bacon, check out what makes the list and share with us, what is your favourite thing about Canada?

Macleans:  99 Reasons Why it’s Better to be Canadian

by

Put a Plug on Your Kid’s Summer Brain Drain

The report cards are done, the bell has rung, the kids are excited and summer vacation is upon us! Summer is a time for camps, vacations, trips, cottaging and so much more! But where do they fit in learning? Ahead lies two full months of vacation from traditional schooling; which for many kids is enough time for their young minds to unlearn much of what was taught. How do we as parents make sure our kids don’t suffer summer brain drain, while still ensuring they get the break and vacation they need? Check out the following from Family Education for great tips on how to easily and painlessly incorporate learning into your summer plans!

Family Education:  Stop the Summer Brain Drain!

by

The World’s Most Popular Sport: Can “Heading” Cause Brain Damage?

Once every four years millions of people across the globe engage in World Cup enthusiasm. While known as the most popular game for years on other continents, the popularity of soccer in North America has grown significantly over the past decade. Soccer is a fantastic sport that teaches coordination and team work, provides an excellent source of exercise, and is an affordable and fun activity for people of all ages and abilities.

Recently there has been a growing concern of the effects that “heading” the ball may have on the brain. Due to repeat “knocks” to the head, many are concerned that heading the ball may be too dangerous and some are calling for this aspect of the game to be removed from youth soccer. For the time being, “heading” remains a part of the game so it’s important to ensure that players are doing this properly and safely. Check out the following from CBC to see some great ways to ensure safety on the soccer field.

CBC:  Soccer head injuries may be underappreciated

by

This Friday the 13th—Ride Safely!

Tomorrow is Friday the 13th and as a tradition in Southern Ontario, this will mean that thousands of motorcycle riders will head to Port Dover for the day. Statistics from the Ministry of Transportation show that Motorcycle riders in Canada are at least 15 times more likely to be involved in a crash than automobile drivers. And 1 in 10 traffic deaths on the road involves a motorcycle. However, it is anticipated that with safe and undistracted driving these statistics could improve. Here are some safe riding and tips for car drivers to safely share the road.

Information For Riders: www.roadawareness.org

Information For Drivers: Bracebridge Examiner: Frequency of motorcycle collisions a concern for OPP

 

by

Concussions – Bungee Jumping Meets My Face

Julie Entwistle, MBA, BHSc (OT), BSc (Health / Gerontology)

Brain injury awareness month continues…next stop – concussions!

If you ask a crowd of people if they have ever had a concussion, about 1/3 will raise their hand. Direct hits to the head, and closed head injuries, are not uncommon in children and young adults, decrease in frequency in adulthood, but increase again in seniors. My last blog on prevention discussed the statistics and outlined that the most common causes are falls, motor vehicle accidents and sports.

Personally, while I didn’t know it at the time, my own concussion experience comes from a high school graduation trip where I decided (against my mother’s advice) to try bungee jumping. I was jumping over water and the goal was that I would dip my hands in the water as the rope became taught – just before it would fling me back into the air. They told me to “tuck my chin and close my eyes” as I approached the water “just in case” I get submerged. So, I am flying through the air, have no concept of distance to the water (it comes up fast when you are free falling), and think “oh I better tuck my chin and close my eyes” but of course doing so not only reduces the thrill of the experience, but causes you to become further disoriented. So, eventually I think I have missed the water and open my eyes, lift my head up to look around and SPLAT – smack the water with my face. Awesome. For the next few days I was in a bit of a fog, had some bruising around my eyes, and a headache. Soon after I developed vertigo – a condition I have been living with ever since. At the time, the word “concussion” was not the buzz word it is today, but I hindsight I think my bungee-face episode qualified (oh, and for the record my mom was only half right – she said I my ovaries would end up around my ears and they didn’t – four kids proved her reproduction theory wrong, but I guess vertigo proved her caution right).

The good news is that over the last few years the media has exploded the discussion of concussions and these are now strongly on health care, sports, and motor vehicle accident radars. The bad news is that I think many people have become confused by the lingo, types, symptoms, and management.
With the help of fellow Occupational Therapist Jayne May who has special interest and training in concussion assessment and management, we will do our best to provide some clarity as follows:

Concussion – a traumatically induced physiological disruption of brain function, as manifested by one or more of the following:

• Any period of loss of consciousness for up to 30 minutes.
• Any loss of memory for events immediately before or after the accident for as much as 24 hours.
• Any alteration of mental state at the time of the event (e.g., feeling dazed, disoriented or confused).
• Focal neurological deficit(s) that may or may not be transient (e.g., poor balance, blurred vision, headache).

Post-concussion syndrome – diagnosed 4 weeks after a concussion when 3 or more of the following symptoms remain: fatigue, disordered sleep, headaches, vertigo or dizziness, irritability or aggression, anxiety, depression or affective instability, changes in personality, apathy or lack of spontaneity.

Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) – a progressive neurodegenerative disease that is a long-term consequence of single or repetitive closed head injuries for which there is no treatment and no definitive pre-mortem diagnosis. It has been closely tied to athletes who participate in contact sports like boxing, American football, soccer, professional wrestling and hockey. The exact mechanism for CTE has not been precisely defined however, research suggest it is due to an ongoing metabolic and immunologic cascade called immunoexcitiotoxicity.

Second-impact syndrome (SIS) – when the brain swells rapidly, and catastrophically, after someone suffers a second concussion before symptoms from an earlier one have subsided. This second blow may occur minutes, days or weeks after an initial concussion, and even the mildest grade of concussion can lead to SIS. The condition is often fatal, and almost all people not killed by this are severely disabled (1).

With medical definitions aside, it is important to look at the clinical signs, and the ways that these can be managed through occupational therapy. To highlight what we experience as therapists, our clients with concussions or PCS often say:

• I have frequent headaches.
• I have pain behind my eyes.
• I find shopping difficult.
• I feel foggy.
• I am sensitive to light.
• Loud noises that never bothered me before now make me irritable.
• I can’t focus long enough to enjoy a movie, conversation, or to read.
• I feel sick when I am a passenger in a car.
• My balance is terrible and I bump into walls and furniture all the time.
• It takes me hours to fall asleep. I may get 4 hours of sleep a night.
• I am always tired.
• I feel like I am floating.
• I keep losing things, forgetting events, and missing appointments.
• I feel worse after I exercise or exert myself.
• Technology (computers, TV) bothers my eyes and makes my headache worse.

As you can see, these types of complaints and symptoms dramatically impact on someone’s ability to work, drive, go to school, manage daily routines, or even participate in social or leisure activities.

So, as occupational therapists, what do we do to help our clients through this? The first step is always education. Rest, rest and rest are so important to give the brain the time it needs to recover. Our job is to help people achieve the balance of cognitive and physical rest, while still helping them to manage their important life roles. This involves pacing education, trial and error, and tracking of activities so people can strike the right balance now, while increasing demands slowly as symptoms improve. Often, we are responsible for setting return to work / school / sports / fun guidelines for clients and employers, teachers, and parents.

We are also integral at helping to address the specific concussion and PCS symptoms that clients find so troublesome. This includes how to manage head pain (ice, rest, facilitate medical consults), noise and light sensitivity (noise reducing headphones, ear buds in public, dark glasses or shades or blinds in the house), dizziness / floating (suspenders, weighted vest, tight underclothing), memory strategies (smartphones, calendars, planners, lists, drop spots), visual changes (bi-nasal occlusion, vision therapy), fatigue (timers, sleep strategies, scheduling changes), to name a few.

The role of occupational therapy in helping people to manage concussions or post-concussion syndrome is becoming more and more recognized by both the medical and rehabilitation communities. So, if you are struggling to recover from a concussion, or insure or represent a client that has these problems and is struggling to participate in important life roles, consider occupational therapy for helping them to return to work / home / school / fun!

(1) Wikipedia