Healthy Homes / Healthy Kids

Healthy Homes /Healthy Kids A train-the-trainer curriculum about healthy homes for Early Head Start and Head Start staff and families Developed by the Healthy Environments for Children Initiative Department of Extension, University of Connecticut in partnership with the LAMPP Project and EASTCONN

Today’s agenda • Introduction • What is a healthy home? • Why is it important for families? • What are the goals of this program? • How lessons are organized

Today’s agenda • Lessons • Introduction to healthy homes • Controlling clutter • Asthma triggers • Lead poisoning • Controlling mold and moisture • Controlling pests safely • Smoking • Advocating for a healthy home • Trainer’s manual • Sample lesson • Try a lesson on for size • Your feedback

What is a healthy home?

What is a healthy home? One that supports the health and safety of the people who live there

What is a healthy home? Safe? Dry? No pests? No dangerous chemicals? Fresh air? In good repair? Clean?

Why is it important for families? Education You are here Housing Health

Why is it important for families? Education: Learning, behavior, and health problems Example You are here Housing: Deteriorating lead paint Health: Lead poisoning

What are the goals of this program? To help family services staff learn about the relationship between housing and health To give staff practical tools to share this information with families To teach families simple steps they can take to make and keep their homes healthy

Each lesson contains • Background information for trainers • List of selected resources • Detailed lesson plan

Each lesson plan contains • Adapt the script to the needs of a given learner and your own style • Learning objectives: what the learner should be able to do by the end of the lesson • List of materials needed • Detailed instructions on how to conduct lesson (script) • All lessons except the first start with a short review of the previous lessons • Every lesson ends with a brief summary of the topic • Activities for adults (handouts) • Activities for children (handouts) • Your evaluation

Lesson: Intro to healthy homes What are the features of a healthy home? • Clean • Dry • Free of pests • Fresh, moving air • Free of dangerous chemicals • Safe • Well maintained

Lesson: Intro to healthy homes At the end of this lesson, learners will be able to Recognize the importance of keeping their homes as healthy as possible List at least four features of a healthy home Identify features of their own homes that are considered healthy Identify features of their own homes that they can make healthier

Lesson: Controlling clutter Clean up clutter • Why is clutter a problem? • Accumulates dirt, dust, and allergens (substances like pet hair and pollen that can cause allergic reactions) • Provides homes for pests, such as bugs and mice • Stores moisture, creating mold and mildew problems • Increases risk of injuries from falls, trips, or fires • Why do you think it is difficult for many people to give up clutter? • What is clutter? • Messy or disorganized accumulation of items • Too much stuff in too small a space

Lesson: Controlling clutter Note Clutter may be associated with various psychological issues, from moderate guilt over a messy home to serious hoarding problems • This lesson is intended to help people with mild to moderate clutter problems to • Identify clutter • Reduce current clutter • Plan to prevent future clutter • People with serious hoarding problems may require help from mental health specialists

Lesson: Controlling clutter At the end of this lesson, learners will be able to Recognize the importance of keeping home free of too much clutter Identify clutter in their own homes Describe a process to reduce clutter Describe actions to prevent future clutter

Lesson: Asthma triggers Asthma: serious lung disease that makes it hard to breathe • Cannot be cured but can be treated and controlled • Causes are unknown • Environmental factors can start (trigger) asthma attacks • Triggers vary from person to person

Lesson: Asthma triggers Common triggers include Dust Smoke Mold Strong smells Furrypets Cockroaches

Lesson: Asthma triggers Note • This lesson is intended for families in which someone, especially a child, has asthma • Also for families whose friends or relatives have asthma • Only a doctor can tell if someone has asthma or another breathing problem • If parents or guardians know or suspect that a child has asthma, they must get and follow medical advice • This lesson is not intended to provide any medical advice • It is intended only to supplement medical advice with information about how to reduce or eliminate asthma triggers

Lesson: Asthma triggers At the end of this lesson, learners will be able to Recognize the importance of having a written asthma action plan Recognize the importance of managing asthma triggers in the environment Identify the symptoms of asthma List five common environmental triggers of asthma Describe methods of reducing or eliminating five common environmental triggers of asthma Develop a plan to reduce environmental triggers of asthma in their own home

Lesson: Lead poisoning • Lead damages developing brains and nervous systems of unborn and young children • Lead poisoning can cause permanent learning, behavior, and medical problems, such as • Problems with reading, vocabulary, academic achievement • Learning disabilities and reduced IQ • Problems with attention and learning • Disruptive behaviors, aggression, hyperactivity • Problems with hearing, slowed growth

Lesson: Lead poisoning Common sources of lead Dust from old lead paint Old lead pipes Soil contaminated with old paint or old leaded gasoline Batteries Some old or imported pottery, toys, and novelties

Lesson: Lead poisoning • Children with lead poisoning may not look or act sick • Only way to know is through blood test • All children should be screened at ages of one and two years • Lead poisoning can be prevented

Lesson: Lead poisoning At the end of this lesson, learners will be able to Recognize the importance of preventing lead poisoning, especially in children Name the only way to know if a child has been lead poisoned List three of the most common sources of lead in homes Identify three strategies to protect children from lead

Lesson: Controlling mold and moisture • Molds are small living things that grow wherever they find food and moisture • Mold growth outdoors is useful • Mold growth indoors is harmful • Exposure may make breathing problems worse for some people • Can damage or destroy belongings • Testing usually not recommended • Rule of thumb: If you can see or smell mold, it should be cleaned up

Lesson: Controlling mold and moisture At the end of this lesson, learners will be able to Recognize the importance of controlling mold and moisture List two health problems associated with exposure to mold Identify the most important thing that mold needs to grow Develop a plan to clean up existing mold in the home Develop a plan to reduce moisture in the home and prevent future mold growth

Lesson: Controlling pests safely Pest: any plant or animal that is somewhere it is not wanted Pests may Cause or spread disease: asthma, plague Eat or spoil your food Damage your home or belongings Make you uncomfortable

Lesson: Controlling pests safely • But pesticides (chemicals that kill pests) can be dangerous, especially to children • Short term: asthma attacks, difficulty breathing, headaches, nausea • Long term: birth defects, learning disabilities, hormonal changes, cancers • Before reaching for pesticides, consider integrated pest management (often called IPM)

Lesson: Controlling pests safely Pests Keep Out! No food No water No shelter Integrated pest management • Look for signs of pests • Identify pests • Remove their food, water, shelter • Keep pests out • Capture or kill without dangerous chemicals • Consider pesticides if other methods fail • Read and follow all directions carefully

Lesson: Controlling pests safely At the end of this lesson, learners will be able to Recognize the importance of controlling pests safely in and around their homes Name some pests that may create problems in or around their homes List some of the health problems that pesticides can cause in children Describe safer methods to control pests in and around their homes

Lesson: Smoking • Lesson is intended mainly for learners who smoke or whose family members smoke • Also for learners whose children spend time around others who smoke • There is no safe level of exposure to tobacco • Any exposure is harmful • No form of tobacco has been shown to be safe

Lesson: Smoking Associated with • Many types of cancer • Reproductive problems • Less resistance to colds and flu • Loss of bone density • Greater difficulty for diabetics to control blood sugar Makes people less attractive • Wrinkled skin • Yellow teeth • Bad breath • Smelly clothing and hair First-hand smoke begins doing damage immediately

Lesson: Smoking • Contains same dangerous chemicals as first-hand smoke • Associated with most of same diseases • Nonsmokers are exposed whenever they are near someone smoking: in homes, cars, public places Second-hand smoke comes from the burning cigarette, cigar, or pipe and the smoker’s breath Arsenic (used to kill rats) + Benzene (used in gasoline) + Hydrogen cyanide (used in chemical weapons) + Thousands of other chemicals

Lesson: Smoking • Unborn baby • Stillbirth and miscarriage • Premature birth • Birth defects • Children • Respiratory problems • Ear infections • Death from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) Exposure to second-hand smoke increases health risks • Adults • Heart disease • Lung cancer • Other cancers • stroke

Lesson: Smoking Children may be exposed to dangerous chemicals by • Putting contaminated objects in mouths • Touching contaminated surfaces and putting hands in mouths • Breathing contaminated dust Third-hand smoke: chemicals from tobacco smoke that remain on Smoker’s hair, skin, and clothing Surfaces like walls, floors, rugs, furniture, dust, and car interiors

Lesson: Smoking At the end of this lesson, learners will be able to Recognize the dangers of smoking tobacco, second-hand smoke, and third-hand smoke Name five health effects associated with smoking Describe the dangers of second-hand smoke Describe the dangers of third-hand smoke List five reasons to quit smoking List five ways to protect their family from exposure to second-hand and third-hand smoke Identify three ways to help themselves or a family member quit smoking

Lesson: Advocating for a healthy home • Adults sometimes must act as advocates for family, working with • Landlords • State and local health, housing, building, and fire officials • Nonprofit agencies • Other residents in the home • Other people or organizations • If learner is a tenant, advocating often starts with landlord • Helpful for learner to understand rights and responsibilities of both tenants and landlords

Lesson: Advocating for a healthy home Note • This lesson is not intended to offer legal advice. • It offers general strategies for advocating and provides an overview of rights and responsibilities of tenants and landlords (or landladies) in Connecticut • If learners have questions about their specific situations, they should consult appropriate legal professionals

Lesson: Advocating for a healthy home At the end of this lesson, learners will be able to Recognize the importance of advocating for a healthy home Define advocating List the steps of advocating effectively Apply the steps of advocating effectively to a personal healthy home issue

Trainer manual • Introduction to curriculum • Information about adult learners • Adults learn best when they feel safe, respected, acknowledged • Adults learn best what seems important in daily lives • Adults learn best when they participate actively • Adults often learn best by doing • Adults learn best when they connect what they’re learning with what they already know • People learn in various ways • Adults may face barriers to learning

Your role as a trainer • Show respect for learner • Respect differences in beliefs, feelings, and attitudes • Respect learner’s time and abilities • Communicate honestly • Ask questions • Listen carefully • Tactfully challenge mistaken assumptions • Remain open to new ideas

Your role as a trainer • Create supportive learning environment • Maintain positive attitude • Be trustworthy • Be caring • Be flexible • Establish a pace that matches learner’s ability and interest levels • Encourage learner • Support learner’s efforts • Help learner to build self-confidence • Help learner to grow • Treat learner as adult • Help learner become problem solver

Healthy Homes / Healthy Kids