“The CPR training that I received as a
young person saved my husband's life.
CPR training provided me with the
basic knowledge and comfortability
to be able to successfully follow the
instructions that our fabulous Niagara
EMS dispatcher gave me when I called
911. It helped me fight for
my husband's life, not just stand by and
watch it slip away.”
“As a family, it is our wish that every
child have the skills tohelp save a life
if they ever need to. We have
decided not to just stand by and
miss the opportunity to support Heart
Niagara's push to provide CPR training
to schools in Niagara. We know
that one day one of these children
will save a life, and that our financial
support is
a small price to pay for that type of outcome.”Michelle
MacIntosh Niagara resident
Background
Cardiovascular Disease remains the most significant health problem for Western countries in terms of mortality, morbidity and financial costs to health care systems. In Canada the direct and indirect costs amount to $20 billion a year which equates to $300 million a year for the Niagara peninsula. The potential positive impact of a reduction in these figures is enormous.
When designing initiatives which positively affect heart health it is the adverse factors such as cigarette smoking, inactivity, obesity and high fat diets that have increased premature heart disease. Modifying the smoking habits, the activity patterns and the nutritional choices of adolescents by demonstrating their individual genetic vulnerability through assessment is the bedrock of this strategy. Heart Niagara believes this strategy provides an effective whole population approach to eradicating cardiovascular disease.
In 1987 Heart Niagara Inc. established a school-based program in the Niagara region with the support of all the school boards and Public Health Unit. Heart Niagara believes "that the direction of primary health care in the field of cardiovascular health must be directed toward strategies that have a hope of long-term success, rather than ineffective attempts to change long-established behaviour patterns. Two strategies co-exist in Heart Niagara planning: Risk reduction and heart health promotion are among the only target group in the whole population who do not already have the disease; school children. This group is 100% available to heart healthy recommendations and self-care education delivered within core curriculum utilizing experiential learning.
The Healthy Heart Schools’ Program is designed to support the physical education curriculum and to increase adolescent’s knowledge of cardiovascular risk factors, heart healthy lifestyle choices and cardiopulmonary emergency response. This enrichment program includes a self reported assessment of activity, family history, lifestyle choice and an assessment day with height, weight, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, blood pressure, Total and HDL cholesterol testing, and a day for bystander CPR training.
The bystander CPR and Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) education is reaching students in order to make a positive impact and offer additional life skills. The training will ensure that each student is aware of the signs and symptoms of heart and airway emergencies and how to respond in case of emergency. CPR has resulted in the saving of many lives – not only from “Heart Attack” – but also from drowning, electric shock and obstruction of the airway by food particles or allergic reaction. Some of those lives were saved by young children who had been taught CPR. With a focused approach on community preparedness the most natural partnership emerged with the Niagara Emergency Medical Services (NEMS) to support the Program. Niagara paramedics co-present the education and skill building in the classroom.
Rationale for Program Planning
As a community it is our responsibility to provide necessary leadership so they can develop self-protective aids before risk factors become established. Modifying the smoking habits, the activity patterns and the nutritional choices while educating about individual genetic vulnerability, must be the bedrock of any strategy which seriously contemplates eradicating cardiovascular disease.
The bystander CPR and AED training delivered within the grade 7 and grade 9 curriculums will provide an essential service to the community by increasing the number of citizens prepared in case of emergency. The training offers an added value of heart health education and awareness for recognition of signs and symptoms of heart attack and stroke.
Program Goals
The goals of this primary prevention program are to:
Provide adolescents and their families with enough information about their individual heart health profiles to guide them toward making responsible choices.
Support Smoke Free Living, Healthy Eating and Daily Active Living.
Support development of a Community Mobilization Youth Health Coalition.
Collect data to support program development and research opportunities.
Program Objectives
To provide adolescents and their families with current information about their individual heart health profiles to guide them toward making responsible choices.
To promote dialogue between students, families, teachers and peers on the benefits of positive choice which include active living, smoke free living and healthy eating.
To provide the school nursing team with a risk factor (heart hazard) tool to review the health status of the students and support program planning.
To collect data on the profile of adolescents to further research strategies that will improve health status and reduce premature vascular diseases.
To identify families at risk of cardiovascular disease.
To increase community preparedness by providing CPR and AED training to adolescents.
Delivery
This Program involves providing and evaluating an effective strategy to deliver heart health education while providing a lifesaving skill (AED training, CPR, Heimlich Maneuver) to adolescents 13-16 years.
Donate to Support the Program
This involves approximately 4,300 grade nine students and 2,600 grade seven students annually at a cost of $248,000 per year. Heart Niagara feels the program delivery costs is an inexpensive investment. The Healthy Heart Schools’ Program is an opportunity to improve lifestyle decisions with positive education for young adults. Positive choice will reduce the future incidence of arterial disease. Heart Niagara believes that the Healthy Heart Schools’ Program is a solution to prevent future chronic disease.
To make a donation, please click on the "To Donate" button at the top of the page.
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