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How to Avoid Summer Injuries

lawnmowerDid you know that emergency room visits jump 20 percent every summer? Almost half of the unintentional deaths from children under the age of 14 occur during the 3 months of summer. As a single mom that worked full-time, I was always worried about keeping my girls safe while they had time off in the summer months.  

Here are some of the common summer injuries and how you can prevent them:

  1. Children often fall out of windows during the summer months. Screens are meant to pop out for fire safety and are not meant to keep children inside. Always supervise your children around windows and keep windows closed upstairs.
  2. People often get burned in the summer months from fire pits that burn very hot. Make sure everyone treats the fire pit like any camp fire. Remember the fire pit remains hot long after the fire is out.
  3. Lawn mowers often cause a variety of injuries in the summer. Make sure to wear tight-fitting shoes and do not operate the lawn mower after dusk when it is difficult to see.
  4. Swimming often causes a variety of summer injuries especially when the water is cold and moving swiftly. Every swimmer should know their limits. It is best for children to swim only where there is a lifeguard on duty.
  5. Boaters should exercise boat safety. Wear life jackets and observe all the proper boating rules.
  6. When driving, make sure everyone wears their seat belt and children are in the appropriate car seats.  
  7. Young drivers are especially at risk in the summer. Motor vehicle crashes are the number one cause of death for U.S. teens. Make sure that young drivers practice a lot with an adult. Also, all young drivers should avoid having passengers which may distract them.

What are you doing to prevent summer injuries for you and your family? I’d love to hear from you!

With MyHealthspin, You Spin Your HealthCare Your Way!

Learn more about what to do when things don’t go as planned with my ebook Easy Healthcare: Your Hospital Stay. You can get it FREE right now by subscribing to our blog.

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What Type of Hospital Room Do You Want?

Hospital roomDid you know that there are different types of hospital rooms? Most hospitals have semi-private and private rooms. If you don’t ask, you will likely be assigned a semi-private room.  

Since I was with my dad and my baby daughter during all of their hospital stays, I learned the importance of which type of room we were in. When my baby daughter was in and out of the hospital, I wanted to be careful that she wasn’t exposed to illnesses of other children in the hospital. For my dad, a quiet room was very important to his rest and recovery.  

So, what is the difference between the rooms offered in the hospital?

A semi-private room will likely be a room with two beds and a shared bathroom. There will be a curtain that divides your bed from the other patient in the room. The benefit will be that there will likely be no extra out-of-pocket cost for this room. The downside to this type of room is that you do not know what the other patient will be like, how much they talk (or are on their cell phone), or how often they will have their family in the room.

A private room will likely be a room for only one patient with either a shared bathroom with the neighboring room or a private bathroom. There is often an out-of-pocket charge for a private room unless it is medically necessary. The benefit to a private room is that you will likely get more rest because you will not be disturbed by another patient, or his or her caregivers and family. You also won’t have to be concerned about being near a patient who may have an illness that you don’t want to be around. Additionally, if you have family or friends visiting you, this will likely be easier in a private room since you will not be disturbing another patient.

Of course, all of these factors are dependent upon what your hospital offers, what illness you have and what your insurance covers. Check with the hospital before they assign you to a room. It is often harder to move once you are admitted to a specific room.

Which type of hospital room do you prefer for you or your loved one? I’d love to hear from you!

With MyHealthspin, You Spin Your Healthcare Your Way!

Learn more about what to do when things don’t go as planned with my ebook Easy Healthcare: Your Hospital Stay. You can get it FREE right now by subscribing to our blog.

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Avoid a Trip to the Hospital by Wearing a Bike Helmet

Happy family on their bike at the park on a sunny dayDid you know that about 300,000 kids go to the emergency room every year because of bike accidents? And about 10,000 kids every year have to stay in the hospital for a few days due to bicycle injuries. Some of these injuries are so serious that some children die every year.

As a single mom of two busy girls, I know how hard it is to enforce the “no bike without a bike helmet” rule. However, since your child could get a brain injury if they fall, it’s important to insist that they wear a helmet.

Here are some things you should know about bike helmets:

  1. The U.S. government has specific standards for bike helmets. Always look for one that has a sticker on it that says the bike helmet meets all of the government’s requirements.
  2. Insist your child wears their bike helmet all the time – even for short rides.
  3. It is very important that the bike helmet fit correctly. Never allow your child to wear a hat under the helmet. If you are unsure how to choose the proper sized bike helmet, ask someone at the bike store to fit it properly to your child’s head.
  4. If you can tap the front or back of the bike helmet and it moves (some children like to wear the helmet like a sombrero), it doesn’t fit correctly.

How do you get your child to wear their bike helmet? I’d love to hear from you?

With MyHealthspin, You Spin Your Healthcare Your Way!

Learn more about what to do when things don’t go as planned with my ebook Easy Healthcare: Your Hospital Stay. You can get it FREE right now by subscribing to our blog.