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Delivering Public Health Messages for Tenancy Sustainment
Module 4 : Impact of Poor Housing Conditions on Health
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Course Objectives
• Identifying hazards and risks around the home
• Impact of hazards on people’s health
• Who is likely to be most affected
• Support agencies/resources available to help
• Action Planning – what difference can you make?
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Learner/Trainer Agreement
• Agreement on confidentiality• Respect for each other: one voice at a time • Feedback for the Pilot• Mobiles off!
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Session One
Health Awareness
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Health Awareness: Exercise 1
• In pairs: when visiting or speaking to residents -What health issues do you come across every day?
• Write these down• Feed back to group • 10 minutes
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Links between Housing & Health
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Session Two
Housing Conditions: Impact on Health
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Carbon Monoxide: Key Facts
• Silent Killer: Poisonous Gas• No smell, No taste, No colour• Common household causes: poorly
fitted/maintained appliances – central heating boilers, heaters, cookers
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Carbon Monoxide: health impacts
• Most at risk: babies/young, pregnant women, chronic heart disease, respiratory problems
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Carbon Monoxide: Signs
• Sooty marks on walls around boilers/stoves/gas fires
• Smoke building up in rooms due to faulty flue• Yellow flames from gas appliances (not blue)• Advice for residents: Seek help immediately –
turn off appliances/open all windows. Call HSE 0800 300 363
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Damp and Mould: Causes
• Poor ventilation of household appliances
• Humidity levels >70%• Poor Heating• Result of water leaks –
long term build up of excess water
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Damp and Mould: Health Impacts
• Increases fungal growth/dust mites• Eye, nose and throat irritation. • Breathing difficulties.• Worsening of asthma symptoms, • Severe lung infection especially for people
with a lowered immunity i.e. people taking cancer treatment, people with AIDS or transplant recipients – young or elderly
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Damp and Mould: Prevention
• Appropriate ventilation in kitchens/bathrooms: extractor fans etc
• Externally ventilate all appliances – clothes dryers etc
• Damp proof courses• External fabric kept in good repair• Properly installed
baths/sinks/toilets/drainage• Frost protection from pipes and tanks
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Excess Cold: Impacts on health
• Healthy indoor temperature 21° C• <16°C serious health risks for elderly• <10°C great risk of hypothermia (elderly)• 50% winter deaths – cardiovascular (heart
attacks/stroke)• 30% winter deaths – respiratory (flu, bronchitis,
pneumonia)
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Excess Cold – main causes
• Sleeping in cold rooms• Dwellings with poor insulation/low energy
efficiency ratings• Properties built before 1850 – greatest risk• Absence of central heating• Excessive damp – reduces thermal insulation• Fuel poverty: currently 2.46 million households
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Excess Cold – Preventative Measures
• Well insulated homes (loft/tanks)• Central heating – well maintained • Low level ventilation/airbricks• Rapid ventilation in bathrooms/kitchen• Properly fitted butt jointed floor
boarding/doors/windows
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Excess Heat: Impacts on health
• Mortality increases in temperatures >25°C• Strain on heart conditions• Increase in strokes• General reduction in health and wellbeing
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Excess Heat – main causes/prevention
Causes• Lack of good
ventilation• Large areas of south
facing glazing• Faulty heating
controls
Prevention• Natural ventilation
or air conditioning• Shutters or blinds• Controllable
heating systems
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Accidents at Home: Key Facts
• More accidents at home than anywhere else• Most common accidents: falls• Stairs: 25% of all home falls• More accidents happen in the lounge/living room• 5000 deaths p.a.• Cost of home accidents: £45 billion p.a.
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Accidents at Home: Risk Factors
• Age• Illness & Disability• Drinking• Smoking• Property layout & risks
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Trip Hazards
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Exercise 2: “In The Know”
• In your groups identify the hazards in one of the rooms provided:
• What health problems might there be for each household?
• What preventative advice could you give?
• What action might you take?
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Exercise 3:Health & Housing Quiz
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In your groups answer the questions as best you can
Prize for the group with highest score !
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What’s my role?
• Constructive relationships
• “Throw a lifebelt”
• Pick up on indicators
• Identify potential problems
• Suggest options
• Motivate and signpost
• Feedback to employer on customer needs
• Be clear about boundaries
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Action Planning
• 3 things which have had most impact from this session?
• 3 actions to take back to your workplace?
• 3 things to help you put learning from this module into practice?
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Contact Sitra
Sitra, 3rd Floor, 55 Bondway, London SW8 1SJ
Tel: 020 7793 4710Email: [email protected]
Website: www.sitra.org
@sitrapolicy @sitratraining
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