Winter is here and, if the meteorologists are right, we’re in for a brutal one! Whether you commute long distances each day or simply drive locally, it’s time for a refresher on winter road safety. The following from CBC News provides you with great tips for safe travels this winter.
CBC News: 11 winter driving tips to keep you safe on Ontario roads
Results from an ongoing study on texting and driving by the Sudbury District Health Unit and Laurentian University have produced scary results, but researchers are optimistic these results put them closer to improving strategies to reduce this dangerous behaviour. Research shows: “They admit to doing it, but they feel bad about doing it, they know it’s wrong and they don’t feel safe when someone else is texting and driving. Learning that information gives us a bit of leverage to empower passengers to stand up and say, ‘No, this is wrong,’ against their peers.” Learn more about this research and the ongoing efforts to reduce texting and driving in the following article from the Sudbury Star.
The Sudbury Star: Sudbury researchers target distracted driving
As Occupational Therapists we use a holistic approach to help our clients. After an accident we assess and treat not only the physical effects, but the emotional impact such a traumatic experience can have on one’s life. The following article by Roger Foisy, a Canadian Personal Injury Lawyer, discusses how approximately “15-25% of children involved in car accidents show symptoms of depression that remain even months after the accident.” Take a look at the article to learn how to recognize the signs and some great ways to help children cope after the traumatic experience of a car accident.
Roger Foisy: Helping Children Overcome Psychological Trauma after Car Accidents
In our previous blog, Senior Safety– Occupational Therapy Can Help!, we included information on how there are now almost 6 million seniors over age 65. With this growing population, how can we ensure older adults are safe, secure, and maintain independence, especially on the road?
Seniors are the fastest growing segment of the driving population. Driving helps older adults remain mobile and independent in their community. This form of transportation provides the most convenient means to access the places and people that are important to them. Unfortunately, as seniors grow older they are more likely to experience age and health-related changes that can impact their medical fitness to drive. However, not every senior is affected; hence, understanding the impact on functional abilities, rather than age, is key to preventing crashes and injuries.
Occupational Therapy can help seniors who drive by:
· Educating seniors and family members on proper driving techniques
· Assisting them to properly “fit” their vehicles. Ensure you have a clear line of sight over the steering wheel
· Creating solutions to barriers through developing programs to improve safe driving
· Consult on different forms of transportation
· Recommend adaptive equipment to enhance your driving habits
Driving is an important part of mobility and independence for Canadian seniors. Entwistle Power and McMaster University partnered together this past spring to host a CarFit event that was aimed at educating seniors about their personal vehicles.
What is CarFit?
CarFit is an educational program that offers older adults safety information along with the opportunity to verify how well their personal vehicles “fit” them and their needs. The event consists of 12 stations which will assist older adults to learn how well their vehicle fits them and their needs.
The Carfit program was designed to:
· Promote continued safe driving and mobility among older drivers through education not evaluation
· Create an open environment that promotes conversations about driving
· Provide information, education and community based resources to older drivers in a quick and easily accessible manner.
Why do we need CarFit?
CarFit programs help drivers assess and adjust their seat position, mirrors, head restraints, and controls. Many people buy cars, and just jump in and drive off. Most often, they do not and are unaware of how to adjust all the safety features to their maximum effectiveness. With the technological advances of the automotive industry, automakers have been making strides to designing vehicles that are beneficial for older adults. Designing controls with larger buttons, blind spot detection systems, rear – backup cameras, lane departure warning systems have all had a profound impact on the safety and convenience of technology for senior drivers. However, with some design changes, they’ve created smaller windows, thicker windshields and roof pillars, which limit a senior’s visibility. Complicated technology control systems can be distracting or difficult to use and may be distracting. With older adults representing the fastest growing population of drivers, it’s important to understand the proper fit of vehicles to promote safety for older drivers. CarFit helps to provide education and strategies on how to achieve the safest fit.
CarFit is a community-based program which consists of working through a 12-item checklist to provide participants with information about on how well they and their car work together. These stations include tips on the following:
· Proper use of seat belt
· Position of steering wheel tilt/ head restraint
· Proper distance between chest and steering wheel
· A clear line of sight above steering wheel
· Proper positioning to gas pedal
· Proper positioning to the brake pedal
· Adjusting mirrors
· Appropriate Neck mobility to check blind spots
· Safe use of ignition key
· Operation of vehicle controls
· Overall use of the vehicle
Does your vehicle fit you? What can you do?
Finding out if you have the proper fit for your vehicle is essential for both your safety and the safety of others around you. Do you have a clear view out your window? Can you reach and manage all of your controls? Is your seatbelt secure and properly fitted? Making these small adjustments can provide a huge impact through improving your comfort, control and confidence behind the wheel!
During our CarFit event, we provided education to help twelve older adults adjust their vehicles to their own unique needs. Participants left with:
· Recommendations on car adjustment and adaptations
· Education on the benefits of occupational therapy
· Information regarding local resources and assistive equipment
This was the first CarFit event hosted in Hamilton, Ontario. While much was involved with hosting the event and getting things organized, our participants expressed satisfaction with being part of this experience – we hope we have started a tradition!
Interested in learning more?
If you or someone you know is interested in attending a CarFit event in the future, you can:
· Visit CAOT’s CarFit Page, or contact your nearest CAA store for future CarFit event listings
· Connect with us on Social Media, and keep an eye out for topics related to older adults
· Explore www.candrive.ca for driving research and resources for older adults
· Phone Entwistle Power Occupational Therapy at 1-866-683-0345 or email us to inquire about our occupational therapy services that can support you and/or your loved ones to age well.
Julie Entwistle, MBA, BHSc (OT), BSc (Health / Gerontology)
Yup, that is me. That mom at the bus stop that, while waiting for my kids to board the bus, ends up supervising and “parenting” the other kids that are not behaving. I remember a few years back I was waiting for the bus with my daughter. There were several kids waiting with us, and a few parents. Three boys were first in line, standing on the curb. They were pushing, shoving and playing around as boys do, each time falling or running onto the road. I told them to stop what they were doing, stand in line properly and patiently wait for the bus. My neighbor called me a meanie.
I am happy to be a meanie when it comes to safety, especially with children. Part of this is the curse of working in auto insurance. I know if one of these boys gets hit by a passing car, this could be life threatening or at the least, life altering. I also know the driver of that car will likely suffer life-long mental anguish knowing they inadvertently harmed a child – even if this was not their fault. Also, my child, and the other children at the bus stop that would witness such an accident would never be the same. They could have nightmares, flashbacks, and suffer from traffic anxiety, an aversion to riding the bus, or attending school. Lastly, from a personal liability perspective, I can’t help thinking that if children are being unsafe, and get injured, and this is witnessed by a responsible adult who did not try to prevent it, that adult could be held partially responsible. Either way, the outcome is bad for all involved.
Transportation by bus is one of the safest ways to get children to and from school. According to transport Canada, only .3 percent of personal injury or death from collisions involved school buses. Of the 142 deaths involving a school bus over the last 10 years, only 5 have involved passengers of the bus with the rest being drivers, pedestrians, cyclists or other motorists. Therefore, children are more unsafe around buses than they are in buses. In fact, riding the bus is safer than walking or getting a ride in a regular vehicle. What becomes key then is helping children to understand pedestrian safety, the rules for getting on an off a bus, and waiting at the bus stop.
It is back to school time. We all need to remember that children are both careless and carefree. Children are not expected to understand and process the dangers of traffic until age 10 and beyond, and as such, as responsible adults and parents we need to help them understand all aspects of bus safety and, if needed, be “meanies” when monitoring their behavior – even if they don’t belong to us.
Julie Entwistle, MBA, BHSc (OT), BSc (Health / Gerontology)
I was recently at a stoplight in Hamilton, stuck behind three busses spanning three of the four lanes in front of me. All three were covered in ads for three different law firms, all personal injury. Drive another block and there are anywhere between four to eight billboards again advertising personal injury services. Some are soft, subtle and warm. Others are creative, catchy and cleaver. Then there are those that are more fear-mongering, “in your face”, and aggressive. Whatever the style, message or format, clearly these ads represent the culture of the advertising firm, leaving the “buyer” to choose the approach that best might meet their needs.
Now the focus of this blog is to not bash the way lawyer advertising has evolved. If signs in parking garages, washrooms, bars, hospitals, or on busses, benches and billboards work, go for it. Lawyers are intelligent people, if the ROI on these investments is not paying off, I assume they would find an alternative. However, I do know that within their own community, through events I have attended and articles I have read, that many firms are being criticized for the approach they are taking with the more aggressive “you don’t pay until we win” mentality. Also, the fear-mongering approach directed at a population of vulnerable and often disadvantaged people can be viewed by many as distasteful. Honestly, I think the public are becoming somewhat desensitized to the vast number of ads marketing the same thing and the more these ads surface, the less impactful they become. But as a business owner, I can understand the intense competition in the industry and respect any professional who invests in their business, or themselves, to make a buck.
Where I think these ads need to improve, however, is in the representation of people with disabilities. Some ads get this perfectly. They show everyday survivors (presumably “real” past clients) doing the things they love, or “living” after their tragedy. That, to me, hits the nail on the head. Others though use images that are transparently “fake” and confuse the message. Taking a photo of a fit, young(ish) person in Lululemon clothing who looks like they are ready for the Paralympics but is sitting in a clunker wheelchair from the 70’s just doesn’t jive. The image is flawed and the message is lost.
As an advocate for people with disabilities, I would like to see a movement of “real” people with “real” disabilities center-stage for these ads, and in any ad for that matter, that is trying to represent this population. Why? Because it is easy for a non-disabled person to sit in a wheelchair for a photo, but the reverse is not true in that a person who actually uses a wheelchair cannot just “stand-up” to pose as a “non-disabled person” for a photo shoot. So, let’s give the money spent on stock-photos, modeling and the resulting income to the population of people that “live” these problems, not to regular people who don’t truly represent.
And yes, I am guilty of this as well. In searching for website stock photos we found several where the person in a wheelchair is standing in the next image. Or, the one where you see the back of my husband sitting in a wheelchair to capture the image of a once real, but now needed-to-be-simulated, client-Julie interaction.
In searching for a way to better support the community of disabled persons, and to ensure the photos we use in our own media align with “real” people, we came across these sites which sell “true” stock images:
Lawyers working in personal injury – I hope you will join the movement to improve the representation of “disabled people” in your ads to, if nothing else, better support that community financially, realistically and appropriately in your advertising.
As of June 1, 2016 the Statutory Accident Benefits Schedule (SABS) has changed again. I say “again” because in my relatively short sixteen-year lifespan working in auto, the industry has gone through some major plastic surgery. It is becoming less and less recognizable as it is nipped and tucked once more, becoming almost unrecognizable as the mandatory product we all purchase to be covered in the event of an accident.
Learn more about how these changes will negatively impact those who are catastrophically injured in automobile accidents and options to protect yourself in the following from the Globe and Mail. You can also learn more about the changes in our previous post “The Government Gets it Wrong—Again!”
The Globe and Mail: Ontario’s benefit cuts profoundly affect car accident victims
Summer is a time for boating, camping, cottaging and spending time in and on the water. Safety for children and adults is key. Learn more about the difference between a lifejacket and a PFD and how to properly fit these in the following from Parachute.
As the Uber debate rages on, it’s time to stop and think about a sometimes unaddressed transportation issue: accessibility. Ensuring that there’s equitable and accessible on-demand public transportation, via taxi and driver services, in every Ontario city is a vital need. Learn more in the following from Spinal Cord Injury Ontario.
Julie Entwistle, MBA, BHSc (OT), BSc (Health / Gerontology)
“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Benjamin Franklin
In recognition of Brain Injury Awareness month, I thought it would be fitting to start at the very beginning. PREVENTION. Really, it is the best medicine. For now, let’s forget about the symptoms of brain injury and its’ impact on work, home, school, and quality of life. Let’s not talk about how it is assessed and treated. Instead, let’s focus on trying to stop it from happening in the first place.
But even before that, we need to know what we are dealing with. It is well known that brain Injury is the leading cause of death and disability worldwide. In Canada, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is more common than breast cancer, spinal cord injury, HIV/AIDS, and multiple sclerosis (MS) combined. There are approximately 18,000 TBI hospitalizations annually. In the province of Ontario, 25% of the two million people diagnosed with a neurological condition have suffered from a TBI. In 2000-2001 brain injuries accounted for $151.7-million in direct costs to Canadians (1).
By way of distribution, TBI is most common in children (0-19) at 30%, followed by seniors (60+) at 29%. In kids, falls are the most common cause followed by motor vehicle accidents and then sports. In adults, motor vehicle accidents cause the most TBI’s, and in seniors the causes include falls (76%) followed by car accidents (2).
Knowing the causes helps to look at how we can engage in preventative strategies. As an occupational therapist with a background in health promotion, a parent of four, and athlete, here are my thoughts:
Falls
Kids fall all the time, so how can we prevent that? Well, there is a difference between a child falling when walking, running or jumping, versus falling from, say, a shopping cart, off of a playground structure, or from a tree they tried to climb. Falls from bikes, skateboards and scooters are going to happen – and a helmet can mean the difference between a head injury and not. The bottom line is that falls in kids are best prevented by proper adult supervision. Yes, it is that simple.
In seniors, falls take on a different form. They are not from carefree or reckless behavior, but often happen when someone is just trying to go about their day by having a shower, coming down the stairs, or taking a leisurely walk. Seniors need to be attuned to the physical, balance and vision changes they are experiencing as they age, and need to consider the importance of anti-slip mats in the bathroom, removing scatter mats, installing grab bars or railings, and the benefits of a walking stick or cane when outdoors. Seniors need to engage in regular exercise and activity to maintain bone density, mobility and intact balance. They have to be very careful when living with pets or when trying to negotiate places that are cluttered or dark. Awareness of declining abilities is the first key to addressing these properly such that a prevention plan can be developed that will ultimately improve safety and reduce the risks. Note that the services of an occupational therapist can be pivotal in creating this safety plan.
Check out our OT-V episode “Fall Prevention” for more helpful information.
Motor Vehicle Accidents
Like falls, despite our best intentions, these can and do happen. The issue here is trying to minimize the risk and optimize the outcome. Safe drivers are attentive, undistracted, and alert. They travel at safe speeds, approach intersections with caution, stop behind the line, pass when appropriate, and recognize that rushing to get somewhere on time is useless if it means you never get there at all. Safe drivers don’t text or hold a phone to their ear, don’t eat a hamburger and steer with their knees, and don’t drive when tired. If you are one of these drivers you are going to increase your chances of avoiding a collision, and lower your chances of being the cause. Unfortunately, however, not everyone is a safe driver. So, all the rest of us can do is wear our seat belt, buy a car with a good safety rating, make sure everyone in the car is buckled properly, make sure the headrest is at a proper height, put loose belongings in the trunk (I know of a child who got a head injury from a flying jar of pickles that escaped the grocery bag during a collision), and follow the rules for child seats.
Sports
I am an avid athlete and have pretty much played or tried every sport. There are very few sports I dislike and I honestly feel that sports can be the most positive and influential outlet for young people, and one of the most engaging and social outlets for adults. The issue is that sports seem to be becoming more and more competitive, kids and adults are getting bigger and stronger, and the culture of some sports has changed from friendly competition to all-out war. Preventing head injury in sport can include outfitting your kids with proper equipment (many hockey parents spend more on a stick than a helmet), ensuring they are playing at their level, monitoring the coaching influence and team culture to make sure this is appropriate, and my favorite is from the book “The Secrets of Successful Families” and includes that the only job of a parent in organized sport is to “shut up and cheer”. No parent should be on the sidelines encouraging reckless, mean or harmful behavior. The results can be devastating. And if you are concerned about your child’s risk of head injury in sport, know that there are many other sports that reduce the risk but are equally as challenging, competitive, fun and have the same physical, cognitive and developmental benefits.
So, let’s start our recognition of Brain Injury Awareness Month by practicing prevention. It does not have to be easier said than done.