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Wave of fun: Swimming safety tips for summer
Swimming safety tips for summer
(Family Features) Playing in or around water is one of the joys of summer, but this treasured seasonal pastime comes with some serious risks. Drowning is the second-leading cause of accidental death for children under the age of 14 in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
As COVID-19 restrictions ease, many families will have more informal gatherings and take trips to the beach, increasing the potential for children to have unsupervised access to water sources. Because of this, it’s important for children to take swimming lessons to learn water safety skills and create safer habits in and around water. As swimming lessons begin across the country, many are being conducted safely with COVID-19 precautions in place.
Protect your family’s safety around water this summer with these tips from the Make a Splash Tour, presented by Phillips 66 and the USA Swimming Foundation.
Designate a Water Watcher and Closely Monitor Children. Designate a water watcher when you are in, on or around water. Watch all children and adolescents swimming or playing in or around water, even if they know how to swim. Keeping young children or inexperienced swimmers within arm’s length at all times can help ensure you’re able to provide assistance if and when it’s needed.
Wear a Life Jacket. Anyone participating in any boating, paddling or towed water sports, regardless of swimming ability in pool or open water situations, should wear a Coast Guard-approved life jacket. Preschool-aged children (5 years old and younger), who are not protected by touch supervision, in particular, should always wear a life jacket. Swimming aids and water toys – such as water wings, inflatable water wings and rings – are not intended to be life-saving devices. They may provide some buoyancy in the water but do not prevent drowning.
Swim with a Buddy. When possible, choose swimming locations where a trained lifeguard is watching for dangerous conditions and helping keep an eye on swimmers. Also make it a practice to always have at least two people swimming together. That way, if someone has a problem, the other can get help.
Learn to Swim. Research has shown formal swimming lessons reduce the risk of childhood drowning by 88%. Through the annual Make a Splash Tour, the USA Swimming Foundation, with the support of Phillips 66, encourages children’s swim lessons. By equipping your child with the skill of swimming, you’ll open doors to a lifetime of safety, fun, fitness and even employment opportunities.
While lessons progressively teach a variety of swimming strokes, some of the most important things swimmers learn – even in beginner classes – are breath control and how to float. These basic skills are essential for staying above water should someone find himself or herself unable to touch or too tired to swim to safety. Children can participate in swimming lessons before they can walk, and parent-child swim lessons provide bonding opportunities along with water safety education.
Enter Water Feet First. Diving in a pool that is too shallow or into water where you’re not certain what’s below the surface, like a lake, can have dire consequences. Teach children to dive only in designated diving areas and to always enter water of unknown or non-visible depth feet first.
Swim in Designated Areas and Obey Posted Signs and Flags. Ropes, buoys and flags in larger bodies of water like lakes or oceans are commonly used to mark off safe swimming areas and provide visual cues about changes in depth, underwater surfaces and currents. Teach children what these signs and markers mean and that they’re in place as safety tools, not toys to play with or float on.
Learn CPR. If the unthinkable does happen, knowing how to perform CPR allows you to take immediate action, which has been shown to significantly better the outcome for children with submersion injuries. In the time it takes for paramedics to arrive, you could save someone’s life. Seconds count; the more quickly lifesaving CPR is started, the better the chances of recovery. There are many places that offer CPR training, including community organizations and nonprofit groups. Remember to keep your certification current once you have completed the initial requirements.
Finding a Swim Lesson Provider
If you’re unsure where to take your child for swim lessons in your community, these tips can help:
- Ask other parents in your area where they take their children. You can ask people you know and use social media and neighborhood boards to get tips. If your school has a swimming team, the coach may also be able to give you some ideas.
- Another resource is online search tools, such as usaswimming.org/makeasplash, which allows you to search for swim lesson providers near you. Many of these programs also offer options for free or reduced-cost swim lessons.
- Once you identify a program, visit the facility with your child to see how swim lessons are run.
- Find out who your child’s teacher will be and whether it’s possible to meet him or her in advance.
- Learn the program expectations for you as a parent or guardian.
- Inquire about the provider’s approach and learn-to-swim philosophy.
While researching programs, some industry best practices to look for include:
- Ask about the facility’s COVID-19 mitigation protocols. Swim lessons can be safely administered with proper protective equipment and procedures.
- A nationally recognized learn-to-swim curriculum or an independently developed learn-to-swim curriculum that follows a similar model.
- Trained and certified instructors, with on-deck lifeguards holding current CPR and first aid certifications.
- A maximum 6-to-1 student-to-instructor ratio for group lessons.
- Minimum of 30 minutes per week of in-water instruction with a minimum total in-water instruction time of four hours.
- Written and practiced emergency action plans.
- Regulation of the facility and water by the Department of Health or similar governing agency.
- Established and practiced child-protection policies.
- Screening and background checks on all staff members.
Make safety a priority for your summer water fun. Find more information, including swim lesson providers in your area, by visiting usaswimming.org/makeasplash.
(Family Features) While diabetes gets a lot of attention, people with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) are frequently overlooked when drug companies develop new medications.
“People with T1D and chronic kidney disease, or CKD, face significantly higher risks of morbidity and mortality if they are unable to control their blood sugar levels,” said Steve Edelman, MD, an endocrinologist and the founder and director of Taking Control Of Your Diabetes, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to educating and motivating people living with diabetes. “They are challenged to do this relying solely on insulin, which is extremely difficult and is the principal therapy for people with T1D.”
An estimated 1.7 million adult Americans have T1D, with approximately 21%, or 360,000, also affected by CKD, according to the CDC National Diabetes Statistics Report 2024. Without effective glycemic control (managing blood sugar) and other important preventative measures, patients with T1D are at a 10 times higher risk of cardiovascular disease, a six-fold greater risk of progression to end-stage kidney disease, a four times greater risk of heart failure and a 2-5 times greater risk of all-cause mortality.
Consider this information to better understand the challenges and risks of complications these patients face.
Challenges with Current Treatments Impact Patients’ Ability to Reach Glycemic Goals
Diabetes management aims to reduce the risks of cardiovascular disease, kidney failure, retinopathy, neuropathy and other complications, in part by improving glycemic control while minimizing the risk of hypoglycemia.
Currently, Americans with T1D have limited therapeutic options, relying almost exclusively on insulin. There are no oral agents to improve glycemia in adults with T1D. Despite advances in insulin therapy and glucose monitoring, most people with T1D do not meet glycemic control target levels with insulin alone. One measure of glycemic control is a number known as A1C, which is a measure of glucose control over the past 2-3 months.
The goal is to help patients achieve the guideline-recommended target of an A1C below 7% and improve their time-in-range, which represents an established metric that translates into clinically meaningful benefits for patients.
Reaching Glycemic Goals Are Key to Reducing Risk of Further Complications
By achieving glycemic control, kidney function can be stabilized, long-term disease progression mitigated and the morbidity and mortality that the cardiorenal burden puts on patients with T1D and CKD reduced.
Today, it is estimated only 23% of people with T1D achieve an A1C of less than 7%, according to research from the American Diabetes Association, and about 50% have an A1C greater than 8%. Patients who do not achieve A1C targets remain at significantly greater risk of complications associated with their condition.
“Relying solely on insulin can negatively affect a patient’s glucose control and quality of life,” said Dr. Edelman. “Doctors and patients need an oral agent to improve glycemic control in people with T1D and CKD. Therefore, we need therapeutic options that improve glycemic control and reduce their risk of kidney disease progression and cardiovascular comorbidities.”
Visit TCOYD.org to learn more about living with T1D and advocating for additional therapeutic options.
Photos courtesy of Getty Images
SOURCE:
Taking Care of Your Diabetes
(Family Features) Gift-giving during the holiday season shouldn’t be stressful. In fact, finding gifts for your loved ones should be as much fun as giving (and receiving) them.
No matter if you’re shopping for the fashionista, the foodie, the workout warrior, the tech expert, the beauty-focused or nearly anyone else on your list, this helpful guide of gift ideas to match a variety of personalities and interests can make the holiday season extra special for both the giver and recipient.
Find more holiday gift-giving inspiration at eLivingtoday.com.
Give the Gift of Skin Nourishment
This holiday season, give your loved ones the gift of brighter, healthier-looking skin. Clinically formulated by experts and health care professionals for every skin care need, Medline Remedy products combine advanced skin care science with gentle, therapeutic ingredients. The proprietary Remedy Nutrient Complex nourishes, soothes and supports moisture balance while caring for even the most sensitive skin. Find the full product line from the No. 1 skin care brand in health care (according to Clarivate health care market data through December 2023) at Amazon.com and Walmart.com.
Power Productivity and Connection
Perfect for that special someone who’s always connected, fuel his or her productivity with Galaxy AI on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6 powered globally by Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. Enjoy multitasking on up to three windows using multi-active Window, speak with someone in another language with live translations you both can see and experience desktop-level gaming with ray tracing. Plus, your loved one can enjoy ultra-fast connectivity for all that chatting, social networking, gaming and more with Qualcomm FastConnect 7800. Find more information at Bestbuy.com.
Share Memories with Loved Ones
With sleek designs to fit nearly any decor, a digital picture frame is a thoughtful way to share and display a continuous slideshow of photos on a mantel, bookshelf or desk. Simply upload pictures via USB, SD card, Wi-Fi or a frame-specific app, and your loved one can relive special moments every day. Some models also offer video playback, calendar implementation and automatic cropping, brightness and power-saving functions, making them a multifunctional addition to any home or office space.
Provide Relief and Relaxation
Ideal for athletes, fitness enthusiasts or anyone with a physically demanding lifestyle, a handheld massage gun can help alleviate muscle tension, improve circulation and speed up recovery after workouts, making one an optimal gift for anyone on your list who could use a well-being boost. Easy to use, these compact devices use percussive therapy to target sore muscles and provide deep tissue massage by using various attachments and adjustable speed settings to target different muscle groups and customize the massage experience.
Take Tunes Anywhere You Go
Whether your loved ones enjoy outdoor adventures or relaxing at home, Bluetooth speakers are a perfect gift idea to enhance the listening experience no matter where they are. With a variety of sizes and styles available, you can find something that fits every music lover’s taste, from compact and portable options to larger, high-fidelity models for home use. Many speakers also include additional features like waterproofing, floatability, long battery life, power banks for external device charging and voice assistant integration.
Upgrade Beauty Essentials
Whether you’re shopping for a beauty novice or a seasoned pro, makeup can make for a quick and easy stocking stuffer. Consider a curated set that includes items like mascara, lipstick, brushes, eyeshadow palettes and other tools to complete their beauty routine. Opting for a limited-edition holiday collection can add a festive touch to your gift. For a more personalized approach, create a custom kit tailored to the recipient’s preferences to provide joy and confidence well beyond the holiday season.
Photos courtesy of Shutterstock (family opening gifts, picture frame, massage gun, speaker, makeup)
SOURCE:
Medline Remedy
Qualcomm
(Family Features) Making money from everyday items in your home may be easier than you think. With a growing number of companies simplifying the process, turning unused items into cash has never been simpler.
These companies are part of the circular economy, where you get to make money from your items and feel good about it at the same time. By reselling items you don’t use, you can give these items a second home or repurpose them into something that has practical applications.
For example, unused gold and precious metal jewelry can be given a second home to or repurposed for vital technology sectors like health care. This reduces the need for environmentally taxing mining operations and gives these valuable resources a second purpose.
Whether it’s clothing, jewelry or tech, consider these simple ways to make extra cash by selling items online.
Sell Used Clothing
Some newer platforms offer a less hands-on approach to selling used clothing online. Unlike popular online platforms that require you to take pictures or create listings for your items, look for outlets that allow you to simply package your items and send them out with an insured label. This makes selling clothing online a breeze and reduces the potential headaches of dealing with buyers directly and managing listings.
Sell Unworn Jewelry
For precious metals like gold jewelry or silver jewelry, selling directly to a trusted buyer can provide a fast, secure way to unlock their value. Consider AlloyMarket.com, a company featured in trusted outlets like Forbes, NBC and US News & World Report that offers a streamlined process with free, insured shipping and no hidden fees or commissions. Unlike platforms that require complex listings or charge extra fees, you keep 100% of the quoted price. On average, customers earn $1,700 or more for gold jewelry and other precious metal items, offering a straightforward, easy and rewarding way to sell unused valuables.
Sell Designer Bags
If you have any designer bags at home, look for platforms that let you sell handbags directly to them and provide upfront estimates before you ship your items. Some platforms provide free insured shipping and marketplaces where you can buy designer handbags at discounted prices.
Sell Books You’ve Already Read
While this likely won’t make you a fortune, selling used books is a simple way to make some extra cash and help preserve the environment. College students in particular can benefit from upfront estimates and free shipping or the ability to trade in used books for ones they’ll need next semester. Plus, some platforms also offer books for purchase at heavily discounted prices.
Sell Tech After Upgrading
If you upgraded phones recently or have a used phone just collecting dust, get an upfront estimate for your phone from a trusted site. Some buyers provide free shipping and, with upfront estimates, you know exactly what you will get for your used phone before sending it in.
Sell Old Furniture
Turn your unused furniture into cash by listing items like sofas, tables or chairs on local marketplaces or apps. Clear photos and detailed descriptions can help attract buyers nearby, saving you the hassle of shipping. Selling old furniture not only earns extra money but also helps reduce waste by giving items a second life.
To learn more about how you can get a free, no-obligation estimate for gold jewelry or other precious metal items, visit AlloyMarket.com.
SOURCE:
Alloy Market
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