Category: Helping Hands News

Helping Hands News

Top 10 First Aid Scenarios for Santa

Helping Hands First Aid Training

With Christmas only a couple days away here is a list of the Top 10 most likely First Aid Scenarios Santa could encounter on his big night.

  1. Burns: Sliding down so many chimneys there is a good chance he could end up with a burn or two. Remember first aid for burns includes cooling for at least 10-15 minutes and be sure to cover loosely with a clean dressing once cooled.
  2. Choking: Eating that many cookies that quickly in one evening has the potential for choking as well as a pretty big belly ache. First aid for choking includes alternating between two of the three following if the blockage is complete: 5 Back blows, 5 Abdominal thrusts, 5 Chest thrusts. If you are choking alone, move yourself to somewhere you may be found, call 911, and try to dislodge to object by using a solid object like table or chair.
  3. Head and neck injuries: Parking a sled on a snowy, icy rooftop sounds like a recipe for falling off. If you hear a loud thud in the middle of the night and go out to find Santa laying in your front yard remember to keep him still, support his head and neck if needed and call 911.
  4. Animal bites: Whether it is one of the reindeer or a protective dog or cat, possible Santa could get a few nips and bites along the way. Let bites bleed for a bit to cleanse the wound, then wash with clean water and cover the wound. You may need to follow up with further medical attention and watch for infection.
  5. Bone, Muscle, Joint injuries: Snow, ice and moving so quickly all night, possible to jolly big dude could tweak or pull something along the way. Remember R.I.C.E. but if it is really bad call 911 and keep them still.
  6. Food Poisoning: We all think we are great cooks but lets be honest, some of us can’t cook to save our life. If you suspect food poisoning or any other form of poisoning give poison control a call at 1-800-268-9017.
  7. Cold Emergencies: Yes even Santa is vulnerable to cold related emergencies. We will summarize this with warming slow and actively. Stop heat loss, start heat gain.
  8. Alcohol Intoxication: If you are anything like me you have likely left beer for Santa at some point. Now imagine how many pints Santa could end up drinking during that one night. If you happen to find him passed out drunk, please Check ABC’s, Call 911, Place him in the recovery position and monitor his condition.
  9. Hyperventilation: Imagine looking at your watch and only having a few hours left to deliver a few billion gifts, you may get a little worked up as well. Remember hyperventilation can often be resolved by coaching the individual to control their breathing. Using your hands up and down provides great visual for them to follow.
  10. Heart Attack: I don’t mean to judge but I feel Santa’s lifestyle definitely does increase the risk of a heart attack. All those cookies and all that stress. If you suspect heart attack, Call 911, consider Aspirin and Nitro, and monitor condition while gathering relevant information including symptoms and past history.

Honorary Mention:

Allergic Reactions: I have no idea if Santa suffers from any form of allergy but if he does he is definitely at great risk of having a reaction. Severe Allergic Reactions should be dealt with an auto- injector (Epi-pen or Allerject) and call 911. About 20% of people will have a second reaction.

Diabetic Emergency: No idea if Santa is Diabetic or not but all those cookies must not help his case. Diabetic emergencies are managed with sugar (lots of options available). If it does not improve in ten minutes, more sugar and call 911. Never put sugar in an unconscious person’s mouth.

Helping Hands News

Babysitting Course: Great Skills for Any Youth

Helping Hands First Aid Training

As a Training Partner with the Canadian Red Cross we are proud to run babysitting courses throughout the year all over the Ottawa area. The Red Cross curriculum is based off of learner centered teaching styles which means most learning is done through hands on activities and games instead of an instructor lecturing all day long. By having youth work in groups in a directed manor they can often learn and improve from each other’s previous experiences all while having fun with new found friends. The main objective of these babysitting courses is to build confidence as a future babysitter meaning there is no stressful exam at the end of the course. Skills learnt are beneficial well beyond simply babysitting and I would highly recommend them for any youth. As a father, a firefighter and a first aid instructor I cannot stress enough the value in taking a Canadian Red Cross Babysitting course.

 

So what all do the participants learn?

 

  • Being a Responsible Leader: being a strong leader and knowing when to implement various leadership styles is a key responsibility of a babysitter. The skills that your children will learn are invaluable as they grow and venture into various activities and eventually into the work force.
  • Childhood Characteristics: as a group we will discuss and focus on the characteristics and behavioral traits of various ages and how to plan appropriately for each age group.
  • Creating Safe Environments: As advocates of prevention, all Red Cross babysitting programs teach and advocate preventing injuries. Through discovered learning we work with the youth on how to create a safe environment both in and outside the home.
  • Caring for Children: Has your child ever changed or dressed a baby? Had to plan activities or discipline a younger child? These are just some of the topics covered in our caring for children section.
  • First Aid: Although prevention is key, we understand accidents happen sometimes. Our experienced instructors will give your children the tools to handle a wide variety of first aid situations.
  • Business of Babysitting: We wrap up our day with discussing the business of babysitting and how to find jobs, as well as expectations for themselves, the family they are caring for and their own personal family.

 

It may seem like a lot of information. No need to worry though as each participant goes home with not only their certificate of completion but their own copy of the Canadian Red Cross Babysitter’s Manual. The resources section of our website also has useful links to allow the participants to continue to be successful with their babysitting jobs for years to come.

Register online at www.helpinghandsfirstaid.ca

 

Helping Hands News

“Gearing Up” for the 105th Grey Cup: Be Prepared in the Cold

Helping Hands First Aid Training

Having been to an outdoor NHL game a couple of years ago not only did I have a great time but I also learnt a few valuable lessons about how to prepare for 3-4 hours sitting outside in winter weather in a stadium setting. The two things you need to be aware of here are frostbite and hypothermia. As much as you want to represent your teams colours, being warm should be your first priority.

Frostbite is a localized injury where skin begins to freeze typically happening to our extremities such as finger, toes, earlobes and nose. Indicators of frostbite are feeling cold, followed by pain, numbness and finally nothing. It is important if you begin to feel numbness you must do something to change this. Adding extra layers, moving the extremities if possible, heat packs and temporarily moving to a warmer area are all possible solutions.

 

Tips to avoid frostbite

  • Wear mits instead of gloves
  • Make sure boots, cuffs etc. are not too tight to impede circulation.
  • Wear socks that wick moisture (avoid cotton)
  • Bring extra socks and mits to change out if they become sweaty
  • A good toque and balaclava can help cover head and face

 

Hypothermia is a lowering of the body’s core temperature. The two most common ways our body loses heat is conduction (direct contact with a cold object) and convection (the windchill). Although it may seem warm when you leave the house it is always better to be over prepared with extra layers because if the weather changes, the sun goes down, or the extended time in a bleacher setting starts to make you cold, this awesome event will no longer be fun.

Tips to avoid hypothermia

  • Dress in layers (Base moisture wicking layer, thermal layer, and wind breaking layer)
  • Avoid wearing cotton ( It holds moisture and robs your body of heat)
  • Keep extremities (hands, feet, head) well insulated.
  • Bring a piece of foam, lifejacket, or an insulated cushion to avoid sitting on a cold bleacher chair for an extended period of time.
  • Keep moving (Cheering for your team is a great way to do that)
  • Eat and stay hydrated but avoid excessive alcohol.
  • Get to a warmer area from time to time if needed
Helping Hands News

10 Guidelines for Parents Hiring a Babysitter

Helping Hands First Aid Training

Here are some great tips the consider when hiring a babysitter for your household.

We highly recommend the use of our Canadian Red Cross Babysitter interview form available under the resources section  of our website to facilitate a lot of these.

  1. Money: Let’s get this out there right off the hop. Although we cannot suggest an exact rate consider things such as year of experience and number of children to be cared for. Always agree on a rate before the job to avoid the awkward conversation at the end.
  2. Extra Jobs: There are certain tasks expected of a babysitter such a cleaning up used toys and dishes. It is not the babysitters primary job to take care of mess or chores they did not create. It is ok to ask your babysitter to complete these tasks but further financial compensation should be offered.
  3. Rules: As every household has their own set of rules please explain yours to your babysitter before you go. This will not only benefit you and the babysitter but also your children as well.
  4. Food: If you expect your babysitter to feed your children please be considerate and provide enough food for them to eat as well especially if your children have any food allergies.
  5. Update: We get it. Sometimes plans change and you end up coming home later than planned. Please inform your babysitter of this and make sure it is okay with them first.
  6. Another contact: Sometimes emergencies do happen. We highly recommend you provide your babysitter with the contact information of another trusted adult nearby if the need should ever arise. Please make sure that adult would be available if needed.
  7. No surprises: If your child is sick, needs medication administered or anything along those lines please let your babysitter know beforehand. Nothing worse than showing up to find out you have to take care of head lice as a babysitter.
  8. Scheduling: Sometimes being proactive is great but if you want to schedule way in advance it is always best to confirm a week or two before the scheduled date. Also as much as possible try not to leave everything last minute. One to two weeks is always a great lead up time.
  9. Cancellation: We understand that sometimes things change but if you’re going to cancel on your babysitter last minute, some form of compensation is always appreciated.
  10. Trust your gut: If you are hiring a new babysitter at the end of the day trust your gut. If they do not seem like a good fit for your household or children, consider another sitter. At the end of the day your children’s safety is your top priority.
Helping Hands News

Kanata Babysitting Course Oct 6: Great PA Day Activity

Helping Hands First Aid Training

With the school year back underway we have all had a week or two to settle back into our routines. Perhaps you didn’t realize but the first PA day of the school year is fast approaching on October 6th. Yes, those days that kids love as they don’t have to go to school but for parents often a balancing act trying to find something for your child to do that day.

As a Training Partner with the Canadian Red Cross we are proud to be running a series of babysitting courses this fall on PA days. The Red Cross curriculum is based off of learner centered teaching styles which means most learning is done through hands on activities and games instead of an instructor lecturing all day long. By having youth work in groups in a directed manor they can often learn and improve from each other’s previous experiences all while having fun with new found friends. The main objective of these babysitting courses is to build confidence as a future babysitter meaning there is no stressful exam at the end of the course. Skills learnt are beneficial well beyond simply babysitting. As a father, a firefighter and a first aid instructor I cannot stress enough the value in taking a Red Cross Babysitting course.

So what all do the participants learn?

  • Being a Responsible Leader: being a strong leader and knowing when to implement various leadership styles is a key responsibility of a babysitter. The skills that your children will learn are invaluable as they grow and venture into various activities and eventually into the work force.
  • Childhood Characteristics: as a group we will discuss and focus on the characteristics and behavioral traits of various ages and how to plan appropriately for each age group.
  • Creating Safe Environments: As advocates of prevention, all Red Cross babysitting programs teach and advocate preventing injuries. Through discovered learning we work with the youth on how to create a safe environment both in and outside the home.
  • Caring for Children: Has your child ever changed or dressed a baby? Had to plan activities or discipline a younger child? These are just some of the topics covered in our caring for children section.
  • First Aid: Although prevention is key, we understand accidents happen sometimes. Our experienced instructors will give your children the tools to handle a wide variety of first aid situations.
  • Business of Babysitting: We wrap up our day with discussing the business of babysitting and how to find jobs, as well as expectations for themselves, the family they are caring for and their own personal family.

It may seem like a lot of information. No need to worry though as each participant goes home with not only their certificate of completion but their own copy of the Canadian Red Cross Babysitter’s Manual. The resources section of our website also has useful links to allow the participants to continue to be successful with their babysitting jobs for years to come.

Register online at www.helpinghandsfirstaid.ca