Florida Injury Prevention Programs for Seniors (FLIPS)

1. Florida Injury Prevention Programs for Seniors (FLIPS) Senior Poison, Medication, and Food Safety Professional Module

2. Overview of FLIPS • Professionals—physical therapists, health educators, nurses, practitioners, researchers, etc. • Focus—fall prevention; fire safety; and poison prevention - medication and food safety • Satellite groups • Janet Lehman—FLIPS coordinator in DOEA. Email: lehmanji@elderaffairs.org

3. The Facts: Are Seniors Beyond The Risk of a Poisoning Incident? • Poison gets in the body through inhalation or contact with the mouth, skin, and/or eyes • Annually in America, 80,000 seniors are poisoned by: • organisms in food • bites and stings • medications • substancesof abuse • chemicals • plants • home and personal products

4. Poison Trivia • Which is the most dangerous product for a child to swallow? • Calamine lotion • Laundry bleach (5% chlorine) • Arthritis pain relief ointment (with oil of wintergreen) • Answer?

5. Poison Trivia cont’d… • Which is the most dangerous for a child to swallow? • 1 prescription pill for diabetes • pencil lead • 1 cigarette butt • Answer?

6. Poison Trivia cont’d… • Which is the most dangerous for a child to swallow? • 10 children’s Tylenol • 1 Verapamil tablet • A gulp of hydrogen peroxide • Answer?

7. Prevention & Education • Why do seniors need to know about poison safety? • To protect themselves. • The most common poisons for Florida seniors are medications, household poisons, and organisms in food. • To protect their loved ones.

8. Causes of Medication Poisoning • Interaction from multiple prescription drugs • Over-the-counter or herbal interactions • Taking another person’s drugs • Vision or reading difficulties

9. Causes of Medication Poisoning cont’d… • Sensitivity to drugs (allergies) • Poor liver and/or kidney function • No reminder system for taking medications • Self-adjusting drug dosages

10. Lack of Dosing Schedule • 60% of seniors on anti-hypertensives have no system for remembering their doses. • Results: • missed doses • doubled doses • erratic drug levels • side effects

11. Teaching Medication Safety • Create a designated place for seniors to take medications such as: • well-lighted areas • child-proof caps and cabinets • check-off schedules • note pads and pens to record problems or side effects

12. Poison Resources • Who provides reliable information about medications? • Physicians • Pharmacists • The Poison Control Center

13. Causes of Household Poisonings • Look-alikes • Storing non-food items next to food • Storing chemicals in drink bottles • Mixing cleaners

14. Causes of Household Poisonings • Using cleaners without gloves or ventilation • Leaving poisons in easy to reach places • Child-resistant containers or latches not in use • Storing water in containers other than water containers

15. Safe Product Storage • Store in original container • Store in a secured location • Store poisons away from food • Use child resistant containers or cabinet latches • Follow directions when using products • Rinse and dry when adding a second cleaner

16. Who To Call For Help? • For non-emergencies, call the company’s toll-free number on the label. • For exposure to a product (fumes inhaled, spilled on skin, sprayed in eyes, swallowed) call the Poison Center at 1-800-222-1222. • For life-threatening emergencies, call 911.

17. Causes of Food Poisoning • Germs carried on dirty hands • Certain plants, fruits, seeds, and roots

18. Causes of Food Borne Illness • Cross-contamination during food preparation • Improper cooking or storage of food • Eating spoiled food or contaminated meats and fish

19. Food Safety • Wash hands using lots of friction • W—warm • A—and • S—soapy • H—happy birthday • Wash dishes and utensils after contact with raw meat or eggs. • Sanitize food preparation surfaces monthly with bleach water & let air-dry. • Keep hot food hot and cold food cold.

20. Types of Food Borne Illness • Gastrointestinal symptoms • Campylobacter, Salmonella, Staphylococcus, Escherichia coli, Clostridium botulism • mild nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and cramps • Neurological symptoms • botulism or fish poisonings • paralysis, tremors, paresthesias, dysphagia, and headache • Flu-like symptoms • Streptococcus, Listeria • fever, rash, sore throat, and headache

21. Food Borne Illness Resources • For treatment advice, call the Poison Center at 1-800-222-1222. • To report a restaurant or grocery store with bad food, call your county health department. • For instructions about safe food preparation or healthy cooking, call your county cooperative extension program.

22. First Aid—Eyes • For imbedded objects or glue stuck to eyes: • do not remove, go to the emergency room. • For liquids, sprays, or splashes in the eye: • rinse affected eye with saline or tap water for 15 minutes. • rest closed eye and apply cool compress for 15 minutes. • if still symptomatic, seek medical attention.

23. First Aid—Inhaled Poisons • Call 9-1-1 for severe symptoms. • Separate the person from the poison. • move him or her into fresh air. • if unable to move him or her, increase ventilation and remove toxins from the area, if possible. • call the Poison Center at 1-800-222-1222 for further instructions.

24. First Aid—Poisons On The Skin • Separate the person from the poison. • While protecting yourself, remove the affected clothing. • Rinse affected area with water. • Wash with soap and water if necessary. • Call the Poison Center at 1-800-222-1222 for further instructions.

25. First Aid—Swallowed Poisons • Brush solid particles off the mouth. • As possible, rinse the mouth to dilute corrosives. • If the person is alert, offer sips of water. • If no respiratory difficulty or vomiting, continue to offer sips of water. • Call the Poison Center at 1-800-222-1222 for further instructions.

26. First Aid—Misconceptions • Milk is the preferred antidote. • Butter should be applied to chemical burns. • All victims must be made to vomit. • Stick your fingers in the back of person’s throat to induce vomiting. • Mix up the universal antidote: burned toast, tea, Maalox. • Walk the person and give him or her coffee.

27. Syrup of Ipecac • Contraindications: • child less than1 year of age • non-toxic product was ingested • ingestion occurred more than 1 hour ago • the ingested product was corrosive, an alcohol, or hydrocarbon • a rapid-acting poison was ingested • the person is going to the hospital for treatment • Call the Poison Center before use.

28. The Poison Center Hotline—1-800-222-1222 • Provides advice after poisoning occurs. • Answers question to help prevent poisonings. • Most poisonings can be managed at home with help from the Poison Control Center. • It is a free and confidential service. • Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

29. Additional Resources • For food safety information, call: • Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-800-535-4555 • For poison information, go to these websites: • Florida Poison Information Center in Jacksonville • Florida Poison Information Center in Tampa • American Association of Poison Control Centers