Drowning
and Near Drowning's Impact everyone!
When
we hear that someone has drowned we are sad. Usually, when we hear there
was a near drowning we breath a sigh of relief. But, what we don't
realize, drownings don't always lead to deaths, those who do survive often
require long-term care.
August
is Drowning Impact Awareness Month.
Why August? The
month of August has the highest rate of drownings than any other month.
Why? Summer is almost over. Some schools have started and
others are about to. Families are a little more distracted trying to get
everything ready to end summer and begin the school year. Last minute
trips to the lake are crammed in and sometimes caution is thrown to the wind.
Distractions subtly abound.
Drowning is a top cause of
injury-related death for children in Arizona between the ages of 1 and 5.
This year alone....just in Maricopa County, 13 of the 70 children
involved in water-related incidents have died. These deaths are preventable as
are the thousands of emergency room visits that result from non-fatal drowning
each year. The number is unknown how many of these hospitalizations
result in permanent disability, including brain damage but it is many. I
have talked to so many nurses that work with children that have survived and
have seen the devastating impact it has on the child and the families.
These
are PREVENTABLE....
SUPERVISION is critical in pool and water safety.....combined with
water safe behaviors....knowledge.....and equipment prevention goes even
further toward drowning prevention.
Adopting and practicing as
many water safety measures as possible give the greatest water safety
assurance....
1. Stay Close….Be Alert….Watch Children IN and AROUND the pool
a.
This goes for any body of water
b.
Never leave children unattended
c.
Teach children basic water safety tips
d.
Keep children away from pool drains, pipes and other openings to
avoid entrapment
e.
Have a phone close by at
all times when you or your family are using a pool, spa or at the lake ( do not
use it except for emergencies)
Child Missing? Check the pool, Spa or water first
f.
Share safety instructions with family, friends and neighbors – do NOT
be afraid to offend anyone
1. Learn and practice water safety skills....which means....know how
to swim and practice CPR
a.
Everyone in the family should know how to swim…including adults
b.
Learn how to preform CPR on Adults and Children – update regularly
c.
Understand the basics of life saving so that you can assist in a
pool or water emergency
3. Have the appropriate equipment for your pool or spa
a.
Compliant drain covers
b.
Door Alarms
c.
Fences and other barriers 4 - 5 feet in height with a self-closing/self-latching
door
d.
Ask your neighbors and community groups to do the same for all
residential pools
e.
Make sure Spa covers are maintained and locked
f.
Have Life-saving equipment - life rings and/or reaching poles
available for easy use
Drowning Impacts everyone….
The individual, the families, the community
As a Community we can help to stop this preventable tragedy
LET’S WORK TOGETHER
For More Information
Contact:
Arizona Childproofers at 480-634-7366
For
Childproofing, Pool Fence, Car Seat and Senior Safety
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