Tag Archives: health

Health & Safety – Where are Ticks?

When the weather is nice, we spend more time outdoors with the children. Playing in the back yard, at the playground or walking on nature trails are great ways to get fresh air and exercise.

kids in woods

What are ticks? – Ticks are small mites that attach themselves to skin and suck blood. Click HERE to see examples of ticks.

Where are ticks commonly found? – Ticks are normally found in areas with trees, bushes or tall grass. This includes back yards, parks, nature areas and most places you would be spending time with the children outdoors in the nice weather.

What needs to be done? – When you return home from areas where ticks might live, carefully check the children and yourself (clothing, skin and scalp) for ticks. If you find a tick on one of your host children, notify your host parents immediately.

Most ticks do not carry diseases, and most tick bites do not cause serious health problems. But it is important to remove a tick as soon as you find it. Removing the tick completely and cleaning the area with soap and water or antiseptic spray, may help avoid diseases such as Lyme Disease that the tick may pass on during feeding, or a skin infection where it bit you.

Click HERE for Instructions on Removing a tick from WebMD.com.

How do you reduce risk of tick bites?  – Use a repellent with DEET on skin. Repellents containing 20% or more DEET can protect up to several hours. Always follow product instructions. Adults should apply this product to their children, avoiding the hands, eyes, and mouth. When you come back in from outside, it’s best to wash the repellent off of skin with soap and water. For detailed information about using DEET on children, see recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Places to Get the Flu Shot

Updated  9/22/2016
Many au pairs and host families are looking for places to get flu shots this time of year. Au Pair insurance does not cover immunizations, but there are lots of places to get flu shots for $30 or less.  If the host family is insisting that an au pair get a seasonal flu shot and she agrees to get it, the host family would be responsible for the expense.

If you are planning to get the seasonal flu vaccine, it is recommended that you get it as early as possible.

flu_shots

Anne Arundel County Health Department – Details have not been released as of 9/22/16

Montgomery County Health Department – Free (proof of residency may be required)

Prince George’s County – Details have not been released as of 9/22/16

Adventist Hospital – Free (while supplies last), then $28

Giant Pharmacy – Cost is not listed (last year, it was $30)

CVS Pharmacy & Minute Clinic – Cost is not listed (last year, it was $31.99) 

Walgreens Pharmacy – Cost is not listed (last year, it was $31.99) 

Rite Aid Pharmacy – Cost is not listed (last year, it was $31.99)

Target Pharmacy & Target Clinic – Cost is not listed (last year, it was $25)

Preventing Dehydration in Hot Weather

drinking-fountain-water

Step 1
Encourage your child to drink plenty of water. On hot days, children should drink significantly more water than usual, as they are losing more due to the heat.

Step 2
Do not wait until your child is thirsty to give him water. By the time they feel thirsty, they are already becoming dehydrated.

Step 3
Have other liquids on hand for your child to drink throughout the day. Juices also help with hydration.

Step 4
Be alert to changes in behavior.  A child may act confused or more irritable when they are becoming dehydrated/overheated.  Get them into cooler temperatures and drinking more fluids.

Step 5
Dress your child in lightweight clothing in the summer months, particularly if she’ll be playing outdoors in warm weather. You may also consider clothes that are well ventilated as they do not trap heat close to the body.

Additional Safety Note: When there are heat and/or air quality advisories because the weather is dangerously hot, you should avoid taking the children outdoors. Check with your host parents for further guidance on this topic.

Flu Alert

You can’t turn on the television news lately without hearing about the flu epidemic.  The seasonal flu has started early this year and is spreading quickly throughout the state.  Here’s some useful information from the Center for Disease Control about how you can protect yourself from the flu and how to treat yourself and your host children should you get sick.

It is NOT too late to get a Flu Vaccine. Check out THIS blog post for a list of places to get your flu shot.

An Ounce of Prevention
There are steps you can take in your daily life to help protect you from getting the flu.

  • Wash your hands often with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth.  Germs spread this way.
  • Try to avoid close contact with sick people
  • Practice good health habits.  Get plenty of sleep and exercise, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids, and eat healthy food
  • Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze.  Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it
  • If you are sick with flu-like illness, stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone without the use of fever reducing medicine.

Symptoms of the Flu
The flu and the common cold have similar symptoms.  It can be difficult to tell the difference between them.  Your healthcare provider can give you a test within the first few days of your illness to determine whether or not you have the flu.

In general, the flu is worse than the common cold.  Symptoms such as fever, body aches, tiredness, and cough are more common and intense with the flu.

Flu symptoms include:

  • A 100oF or higher fever or feeling feverish (not everyone with the flu has a fever)
  • A cough and/or sore throat
  • A runny or stuffy nose
  • Headaches and/or body aches
  • Chills
  • Fatigue
  • Nausea, vomiting, and/or diarrhea (most common in children)

Treating the Flu
You can treat flu symptoms without medication by:

  • Getting plenty of rest
  • Drinking clear fluids like water, broth, sports drinks, or electrolyte beverages to prevent becoming dehydrated
  • Placing a cool, damp washcloth on your forehead, arms, and legs to reduce discomfort associated with a fever
  • Putting a humidifier in your room to make breathing easier
  • Gargling salt water (1:1 ratio warm water to salt) to soothe a sore throat
  • Covering up with a warm blanket to calm chills

Children are at higher risk for getting the flu because their immune systems are not fully developed.  If your host child gets sick, always ask your host parents before giving any medications to the children.  There are strict guidelines for dosages and they MUST be followed.  Never give aspirin to children or teenagers who have the flu.  Giving aspirin to children with the flu can cause a rare but serious illness called Reye’s Syndrome.  Read ingredient labels on over-the-counter medications carefully to ensure they do not contain aspirin.

Friday, February 5 is WEAR RED DAY

GR-90-101B[1]

On National Wear Red Day, Friday, February 5, 2010, millions of people will choose to wear red and speak up against heart disease. It gives women and men everywhere a way to show their dedication and support of the cause, and empowers them to take action for their health. And it gives them the opportunity to honor the women in their lives by sharing this lifesaving information.

Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women in America.

Tips for a Healthy Heart

  • Eat plenty of fiber and good fat.
  • Lay off cholesterol and salt
  • Lose the gut.
  • Get regular excercise.
  • Calm down.
  • Don’t smoke.

So, when you look in the closet on Friday— GO RED! Wear red and join women – and men – across the nation who are wearing red and speaking up to save women’s lives.

red dresses

For more information about Women & Heart Disease, visit www.GoRedForWomen.org

September Coffee Meeting

We had a great cluster meeting last night at the Ikea cafe.  The newest arrivals to the cluster got to meet some other au pairs.  Everyone selected a duck in my first ever Duck of Choice Meeting.

We also discussed the seasonal flu, H1N1 and tips on how to stay healthy over the winter months.  That may not sound like fun, but neither is getting sick.  So, it’s better to discuss it now and learn ways to stay healthy than to get sick.

We had our quarterly Cluster Super Stars prize drawing.  The big prize, a Washington, DC theme gift basket was won by Ayanda.  It was her first cluster meeting and a lucky day for her.  Wearing her Au Pair in America T-shirt must have brought her good luck!

Here is a picture of her with her prize.

Here’s how the Cluster Super Stars Program works…

Every time you participate in cluster events, you will earn tickets that will go into a drawing for a prize once a quarter (every 3 months.) Drawings will be held at the coffee meetings in March, June, September and December.  You must be present at the meeting where I do the drawing to win.

Here is how you earn tickets:
Attend a Cluster Meeting – 1 ticket
Call or Email a New Au Pair – 1 ticket

Wear your APIA T-shirt to a Cluster Meeting or Event – 1 ticket
Participate in a Cluster Volunteer Event – 3 tickets
Do a Global Awareness Presentation – 3 tickets
At Cluster Meetings, there will sometimes be chances to earn extra tickets.

The more tickets you earn, the more chances you have to win the prize. All of the Cluster Super Stars Prizes will have a value of $20-$60.