A Healthy Homes Coalition in his city stepped in to help the family. - PDF document

Introduce myself I invite you to be part of helping create a healthier community in La Plata County. I became interested in Healthy Homes after attending a Healthy Homes conference in San Diego in 2011. I was shocked to hear about increased asthma rates due to hazards in the home. One boy had to go to the emergency room nearly every month from asthma attacks. Like many of us his family didn’t have health insurance, so had to use the emergency room instead of preventative medicine. A Healthy Homes Coalition in his city stepped in to help the family. They removed all of the asthma triggers in his home including dirty carpets, mold, high carbon monoxide and more. The boy’s asthma attacks dropped significantly. I was struck by the power of this information. Even if our Healthy Homes program can’t go into every home in La Plata County at least we can supply you with the information and resources to make your home healthier and safer. Ask people to introduce themselves and why they are here today. 1

Program funded by a grant from the EPA. Advertising provided in partnership with Durango Transit. Smoke Free materials provided by SJBHD Radon test kits provided by CSU Extension Partnering with RHA on Homebuyer Education class. Workshop Layout Total presentation time: 1.5 hours Introduction to the program Exploring a Healthy Home & Indoor Air Quality room by room Low & No cost steps for improving the air quality in your home Opportunities to sign the Healthy Homes pledge and Smoke Free Car & Home pledge for 4 week period Free carbon monoxide detector & radon kit Survey on the current level of healthiness in your home Follow up survey after 4 week pledge period 2

4CORE is a 501(c)3 nonprofit 4CORE serves Southwest Colorado as the leading resource for the effective and efficient use of energy to promote and sustain vibrant local communities. Energy Efficiency – for Homes & Businesses Resource Smart Business Program Home Performance Prescription (HomeRx) Program Innovative Solutions - Solarize campaign Resource Efficiency Education – for Families & Businesses Healthy Homes, Healthy Families Program Alternative Fuel Vehicles Program Sustainable Business Education Program Energy Information Hub – for Southwest Colorado Website, newsletter, blog, social media 3

• Ensures that all communities & people, regardless of race, color, national origin or income receive the same degree of protection from environmental and health hazards • The EJ movement grew out of a grassroots protest in 1982, which found that there was a link between the placement of a hazardous waste landfill and the race of the communities where the landfills were to be located. • Environmental Justice is now required of all federal agencies • 40 communities across the country have received EJ Small Grants for 2013-14 from the EPA. I attended a conference in DC in October where I was able to meet all of the other grant recipients and realize that our project is part of a larger movement to improve the health of our communities. Some of the projects include: • Fixing the contamination of traditional tribal fisheries in Alaska • Transforming contaminated industrial land in New Jersey into community gardens • Providing education and empowerment to improve indoor air quality and creating healthy homes in La Plata County 4

• Air pollution indoors can be 2 to 5 times more concentrated than outdoor levels. • People typically spend 50% of their time inside their homes. We want to make sure that the air you’re breathing is safe and that your home is healthy. Hopefully by the end of the workshop you won’t feel the need to wear gas masks at home. 5

Ask participants to get in small groups of 3-4. Introductions in your group Come up with 2-3 things that make up a healthy home. Can also list things that would not be included in a healthy home. Responses may include: Safety & structurally sound Doesn’t make us sick Has good air quality Clean Free of mold and pests Ask groups to volunteer one idea Ask participants to raise hands if they had similar ideas Move on to different idea Review suggestions 6

Sick Home Syndrome is used to describe situations in which people experience health and comfort effects that appear to be linked to time spent in their homes, but no specific illness or cause can be identified. Some symptoms of Sick Home Syndrome include: ASTHMA Currently 7 million children worldwide have asthma I grew up in a 100 year old farmhouse in Southern California. Our property was surrounded by modern suburbs, but this old farmhouse was preserved. My younger brother has asthma and strongly believes that it developed from the black mold that grew inside the walls of his bedroom. When he comes back to the family house during the holidays he always sleeps in the living room. Does anyone in your home have asthma? 7

Call out the different asthma and allergy triggers that could be making us sick. 8

Hand out Room-by-room Checklist & Hand out 3 Issues Worksheet. I’m not going to go over every potential problem in the exact same order as the checklist, but we’ll jump around a little. You may find out that you have some of the same issues in your home. Here’s a worksheet to be able to keep track of areas of concern. 9

What could be some sources of indoor air pollution? 10

• Millions of dust mites live in our homes • Dust mites feed on discarded human skin flakes and live in sheets, blankets, pillows, mattresses, soft furniture, carpets, and your child’s stuffed toys. • Dust mite feces are a major cause of allergic reactions & asthma attacks 11

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50% of children (age 3-11) had recent exposure to cigarette smoke between 1999- 2008 Primary Source of Exposure: The Home (school and other places took second) That exposure increases the chances that children will suffer from: (List) We all know that: • Secondhand smoke can cause lung cancer and heart disease. Children with asthma may have more severe or more frequent attacks if they are around secondhand smoke. CO Quit Hotline receive 5 coaching calls, guidebook, nicotine patches for 8 weeks, & text message reminders CO Quit Mobile for more text message instant support, since she hears how effective these programs can be to really help people quit for good. Ask others not to smoke around kids or smoke outside 13

Pet dander, urine, and saliva can be asthma triggers and cause poor air quality 14

Allergies to cats are the most common asthma trigger, with 30% of asthmatics reporting cat allergies. We aren’t actually allergic to their fur – it’s the pet dander (skin cells, salivia) that actually make us allergic. After I got my long-haired cat Fuzzer from the Humane Society I noticed that our house became much dirtier from fur and tracking in dirt & leaves. Our cat likes to sleep on our pillows at night – which is not very hygienic. Who has a pet that comes inside? Does anyone in your home have allergies or asthma triggers from your pet? What to Do? • Keep animals outside as much as possible • Keep animals out of bedrooms of people with asthma • stay off the furniture. • vacuum the carpets and furniture when asthmatics are not around • If all of this doesn’t work, give pet to another family and get a pet fish instead. • Hypoallergenic pets – certain breeds of cats and dogs have NOT been proven to reduce allergies. Only reptiles, fish & amphibians will do. 15

Combustion appliances 16