Health risk. Are you prepared?

Influenza is an acute respiratory disease caused by infection with influenza viruses, which occurs mainly in winter.

An influenza pandemic is defined as the spread of a new influenza virus among people around the world.

What to do to prevent

Vaccination, especially for people at risk is the best way to prevent and fight influenza because it significantly reduces the chances of contracting the disease and in case symptoms of influenza develop, they are less acute and the risk of complications is reduced.

What to do in case of influenza or pandemic influenza 

• Consult your general doctor or your local health authority's prevention department to get reliable and up-to-date information about vaccination and the disease.
• Find out if you belong to risk categories for which vaccination is recommended: some people are more vulnerable than others to the virus.
• Use the vaccination only after consulting your doctor or local health authority. Vaccination protects you from the virus, but it may not be recommended for some people.
• Consult the websites and follow the official announcements of the institutions to be correctly updated on the situation.
• Follow the instructions of the health authorities carefully, because special measures may be necessary for your safety in case of a pandemic.
• If you present symptoms seek medical attention immediately. Prompt diagnosis helps your recovery and reduces the risk of infection to others.
• Practice good hygiene for yourself and your home to reduce the risk of infection.
• If you have a sick person in your home, avoid sharing personal items to prevent transmission.

Assistance to people with disabilities in emergencies requires special precautions. 

These recommendations are important for everyone to consider, even if there are no disabled individuals living in our household. In an emergency, you may need to rescue not only your family but also friends, colleagues, acquaintances, neighbors, classmates, or others in need of help whom you may encounter by chance. It's beneficial for everyone to have at least a basic understanding of how to assist people with disabilities.

If a person with a disability lives with you and your family

• Check the emergency plans - municipal, school, workplace - paying attention to what may be crucial to the rescue of people with disabilities to avoid any doubts or uncertainty.
• Find out the main architectural barriers in your area - stairs, steps, bottlenecks, perception barriers - all obstacles to a possible evacuation.
• Help the person with a disability to collaborate as much as possible to boost his confidence in overcoming the situation and avoid wasting time and unnecessary actions.
• Install alarm signals - acoustic, optical, mechanical, tactile, etc. - that the person with a disability can understand.
• Identify at least one accessible escape route to a safe place to be prepared for an emergency.

During the emergency

• Help the person with a disability to collaborate as much as possible to boost his confidence in overcoming the situation and avoid wasting time and unnecessary actions.
• Install alarm signals - acoustic, optical, mechanical, tactile, etc. - that the person with a disability can understand.
• Identify at least one accessible escape route to a safe place to be prepared for an emergency.

Assistance to people with disabilities in emergencies requires special precautions. 

These recommendations are important for everyone to consider, even if there are no disabled individuals living in our household. In an emergency, you may need to rescue not only your family but also friends, colleagues, acquaintances, neighbors, classmates, or others in need of help whom you may encounter by chance. It's beneficial for everyone to have at least a basic understanding of how to assist people with disabilities.

People with cognitive disabilities

Remember that people with cognitive disabilities

• may have difficulty carrying out complex instructions over a short sequence of simple actions.
• in dangerous situations, they may not be very cooperative with the rescuer.

Therefore:

• Make sure the person has understood the dangerous situation.
• Assist the person in case of problems with poor directional sense.
• Give instructions using simple step-by-step instructions.
• Use simple signs or symbols that are easy to understand.
• Try to understand possible reactions.
• In case of aggressive behavior, prioritize protecting the person's physical safety. Use coercive intervention if this is the only possible solution.

Assistance to people with disabilities in emergencies requires special precautions. 

These recommendations are important for everyone to consider, even if there are no disabled individuals living in our household. In an emergency, you may need to rescue not only your family but also friends, colleagues, acquaintances, neighbors, classmates, or others in need of help whom you may encounter by chance. It's beneficial for everyone to have at least a basic understanding of how to assist people with disabilities.

People with physical disabilities

If the person can move independently using a wheelchair, ensure the path is free from architectural barriers.

If there are obstacles, such as stairs or steps, help them to overcome them in this way: stand behind the wheelchair, hold the handles of the chair, inclining it backward about 45° and face the obstacle, keeping the inclined position until you reach a safe and flat place.

Remember to approach the obstacle and always go backward.

If you have to carry a person unable to cooperate, do not put traction on his/her joint structures because you may cause damage, but use the scapular girdle - shoulder joint complex - or the pelvic girdle - pelvis and hip joint complex - as gripping points.

Assistance to people with disabilities in emergencies requires special precautions. 

These recommendations are important for everyone to consider, even if there are no disabled individuals living in our household. In an emergency, you may need to rescue not only your family but also friends, colleagues, acquaintances, neighbors, classmates, or others in need of help whom you may encounter by chance. It's beneficial for everyone to have at least a basic understanding of how to assist people with disabilities.

People with hearing disabilities

• Facilitate lip reading, avoid misunderstandings, and facilitate rescue.
• Keep your head still when speaking and place your face at eye level with the other person.
• Speak, if possible, with correct pronunciation, using short sentences with a normal tone.
• Write names and words that you cannot communicate in block letters.
• Keep a distance of less than one and a half meters.
• People with hearing aids also have difficulty fully understanding speech, so follow the same precautions.

People with visual disabilities

• Announce your presence and speak in a distinct voice.
• Explain the actual dangerous situation.
• Avoid alternating with a third person in the conversation.
• Describe in advance the actions to follow.
• Guide the person along the path as appropriate, leaning on your shoulder and slightly behind.
• Announce the presence of obstacles such as stairs, doors, or other barriers.
• If you accompany several people with the same difficulties, help them hold hands.
• Don't leave the person once you reach a safe place; ensure they are with someone else.

If a blind person with a guide dog is present

• Do not pet or offer food to the dog without the owner's permission.
• If the dog wears the "guide" (harness), it assists. If you do not want the dog to guide its owner, ask to remove the guide.
• Make sure that the dog is safe with the owner.
• If you must take care of the dog upon the owner's request, hold it by the leash and never by the "guide."