Home Health Hazards for Older Adults

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Home Health Hazards for Older Adults
11-15-05

• Keeping Your Home
• Healthy Comfortable

Alliance of Cleveland HUD Tenants Cleveland
Tenants Organization Environmental Health
Watch Alliance for Healthy Homes
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What does my home have to do with my health?

• Some illnesses are caused or made worse by health
  hazards in the home
• especially asthma and other breathing problems

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What does my home have to do with my health?

• We spend more time at home -where pollution is
  often worse than outdoors.
• Grandkids can be exposed to hazards lead
  poisoning, pests, tobacco smoke.

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Purpose of the Presentation

• Information to improve health and comfort.
• Not our business to tell you how to live.
• Help each other with knowledge and ideas.

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who is responsible?

• Some hazards are created by residents themselves.
  
• Some are problems with the building.
• .

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Quick survey

• First, lets take a survey
• to get an idea what people
• already know about
• indoor health hazards.

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How would you describe an unhealthy home?

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• ???????
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unhealthy home

• Damp excess moisture leads to mold and pests.
• Stuffy - dirty air doesnt leave clean doesnt
  get in.
• Too hot or too cold stress on the body.
• Pests allergic reactions and asthma.

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unhealthy home

• Polluted pesticides, cleaning products, sprays
  and combustion gases.
• Dusty dirty can contain harmful substances.
• Cluttered - makes it hard to clean and hard to
  control pests.

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healthy home

• Dry
• Ventilated
• Clean
• Uncluttered
• Comfortable
• Pest-free
• Not polluted

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Pests and Pesticides

• Pests are a problem - but so are bug sprays.
• Roaches rodents can make breathing problems
  worse
• Bug sprays can also cause health problems.

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Roaches

• Dont use sprays or foggers.
• Use gel baits and boric acid products.
• Dont make life easy for roaches.

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Dont make life easy for roaches

• Dont feed them.
• Take garbage out frequently
• Clean up crumbs
• Dont provide water.
• Dry up spills
• Report leaks
• Dont provide hiding places.
• Get rid of clutter

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Is your home roach-friendly?
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Too cold

• Kerosene heaters are dangerous.
• Dont use stoves for heat.
• Pick the right electric space heater dont get
  burned.

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Too hot

• Serious health concern.
• Use window fan to
• take out hot air during the day
• bring in cool air in the evening.
• Shade the sunny side of the apartment during the
  day.

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Tobacco Smoke

• Bad for the smoker bad for others in the home.
• Best to quit hard to do.
• Smoke outside to reduce exposure for others.
• One of the most important things you can do for
  your grandkids.

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Whats wrong here?
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MOLD

• Many people are allergic to molds can make
  breathing problems worse.
• So-called black mold is a worry for infants.
• To get rid of mold, get rid of excess moisture.

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Cleaning mold

• Landlords responsibility.
• Large area requires professional.
• Small areas of mold, you may be able to clean.
• Factsheet - Cleaning Mold

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EXCESS MOISTURE

• Report leaks promptly.
• Cleanup leaks and spills right away.
• If things get wet, dry them quickly. Discard
  items soaked more than a couple of days.

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EXCESS MOISTURE

• Use vent fans in bath and kitchen.
• Cover pots that steam for hours.
• Dont use humidifiers.

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Stop pollution from getting inside

• Most dirt in a house comes in from outside.
• Shoes carry lead, pesticides, oil, gasoline,
  pollen, etc.
• Door mats help a lot.
• Taking shoes off works best.

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Products that pollute

• Strong odor can irritate breathing moth balls,
  perfume, cleaning products, etc.
• Air fresheners dont really freshen.
• Mercury fever thermometers are a problem if they
  break.

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Protecting the grandchildren

• Smoke outside.
• Use safer pest control.
• Stop lead dust at the door.
• Keep your medicines secure.

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Bottom line

• Your home effects your health
• Simple steps
• Get rid of excess moisture
• Use safer pest control
• Stop pollution from getting inside
• Avoid products that pollute
• Keep cool and keep warm safely

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Getting the landlord to make the repairs

• Landlord has a legal duty to fix certain things
  -water leaks, heat, ventilation.
• You must give them written notice of the problem.
• Keep a copy!!!!

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Getting the landlord to make the repairs

• Landlord has maximum of 30 days to make repairs.
• Tenants can rent-strike at the Court, if repairs
  are not made.
• It is illegal for a landlord to retaliate.

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Strength in Numbers

• When tenants have common concerns, make demands
  together.
• Use petitions.

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Document, Document, Document!!!

• Take photos.
• Write things down when they happen.
• Keep logs.

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Survey

• Please fill out the survey again
• We will review it together to see if there are
  any questions.

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How did We do?

• Please fill-out the evaluation form
• Your comments