Prevention through the ages 0-100

There are tons of prevention lessons. What should I teach? Why should I teach it? How do I determine what IS the biggest risk?

What do you believe the biggest risk is in your community? What is your least favorite class to teach? What is your favorite class to teach?

Community Risk Assessment Incident reports County statistics High Risk Populations Hospital Data (admissions and ER data)

Low Income Under Five People with Disabilities Non English/Low literacy Elderly

3 - 5 Year olds Methods to use when working with year olds: Use only positive behaviors/model adults Active repetition. Only discuss one behavior and don’t go over 20 minutes (attention span). Use words that are on the child’s level. Example: hot, hurt, burn, not apparatus, gear, etc.

Secondary Target Audience Consider targeting the care takers of children, such as siblings, parents, grandparents, child care professionals, and babysitters Have limited control over their environment

Senior Adults Learning Characteristics of Senior Adults Reduced physical abilities More women than men Reduced income Diminishing health

Senior Adults Methods to use when working with Senior Adults Be patient Gesture Be friendly Be respectful Compensate for reduced physical ability Limit presentation to 30 minutes Include a question and answer period to accommodate a talkative audience.

Secondary Target Audience Consider targeting additional audiences such as elder-care communities, working age adults who may be caring for their parents, senior centers, home health professionals

People with Disabilities Physical Consider an assistive device as an extension of the person’s personal space Often their only disability; do not assume there is a cognitive disability also Give suggestions on how to adapt (i.e. wheelchair bound person would use a blanket to smother flames instead of stop, drop, and roll) Arrange the room so everyone has adequate space Speak directly to the person, not to an accompanying support person. If you are not sure what to do, ask, “Can I help?”

People with Disabilities Cognitive Get as much information as possible before presentation Build on what they already know Often have difficulty Understanding complex information. Using logical thinking to plan ideas and solve problems. Following directions and instructions, particularly those which involve multiple steps or complex information. Using judgment and abstract thought.

Suggestions for Working with People with Disabilities Learn about the needs and characteristics of your students Ask for their input about how they feel they learn best, and help them to be as in control of their learning as possible Put skills in context so there is a reason for learning tasks Involve families and significant others in learning activities if possible Above all, be respectful of them as a person

Suggestions for Working with People with Disabilities Use concrete items and examples Role model desired behaviors Plan ahead with your class activities Use appropriate communication methods Use step by step instructions and demonstrate

Low Income Crosses all demographic lines, including age, ethnicity, background and location Seems to be greatest in large cities and small rural communities Check with local schools to find out % of students on free and reduced lunch

Suggestions for working with Low Income audiences Trust. Build trust by involving your target audience; they will spread the word. Partnerships. Engage local agencies and organizations in your work; build bridges. Demographics. Know your audience; be respectful of their privacy, know that culture and values matter. Local presence. Ensure that you have local points of contact in the community; audiences need to sense that they are “connected.” From Evaluation of the Los Angeles CalKids Program: Executive Summary, February The California HealthCare Foundation

Suggestions for working with Low Income audiences Provide food Avoid biases Understand that they come with a different set of experiences Often don’t have same reference point; haven’t been to zoo, museum, etc. Predict barriers to injury and fire prevention Can they afford smoke alarms? Bike helmets? Experience with uniformed personnel, no badge

Non-English speaking/ Low Literacy Be aware and respectful of cultural differences (eye contact, hand shaking, religious practices) Use visual aids Avoid using idiomatic phrases (i.e. hold your horses, he let the cat out of the bag, etc.) Model and demonstrate new skills

Non-English speaking/ Low Literacy Speak slowly and clearly, use “wait time” Regularly check for understanding Simplify messages as much as possible, breaking information into smaller “bites” Written materials Use pictures to represent messages

How do we know what messages to share? NFPA Educational Messaging Reference

Evaluation

Evaluation - Quality How do you show knowledge gain? Pre/Post Tests Surveys Observation How do you show behavior change? Survey Observation Stats