818-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, July 11 1998
Emotional
TUNKHANNOCK (Wyoming
Co.) As we have become all
too familiar with, natural disas
ters can strike anywhere and
anytime. With clean up, insur
ances, and the overall effort
needed to begin the recovery
process, we often forget the emo
tional toll such situations can
take on the victims, the volun
teers, and the communities.
Following are some sugges
tions to help remind us of the
importance of coping.
There are two reactions dur
ing a disaster. Most people are
very quick to take care of what
needs to be done, sandbagging,
packing, cleaning up, helping
neighbors
At the same time people
experience disbelief. “This can’t
possibly be happening!”
This emotional disbelief
allows people to keep working
on survival, but there may also
be a sense of unreality during
the disaster. Other powerful
feelings may surface. Panic/feel
mg out of control anger, generos
ity toward others, despair, anxi
ety/uncertamty, disorientation,
cooperation/team work
At times, people experience a
real sense of community and
connectedness when everyone
pulls together to deal with the
situation The sharing of loss
with others can create a strong
bond among disaster victims
Often the full force of the emo
tional reaction hits well after
the initial shock and clean up
efforts. That’s when exhaustion
can set in As we look at our real
losses, we may experience grief,
desperation and depression We
need to be prepared to pay more
attention to our emotion reac
tions and to the reactions of our
friends and neighbors once the
emergency crews go home.
Coping
One of the first things people
can do is pull together. Don’t
hesitate to ask for assistance
There are many people around
who want to help and will help.
They just need to know what to
do that will be most helpful
right now. People want to help,
yet some people try to manage
by themselves, without accept
ing help. Remember, help from
others may make the critical dif
ference between coping and suf
fering more from a disaster.
Allow other people to help you!
Another important coping
strategy is taking care of your
physical and emotional needs.
Eat a balanced diet to fuel your
energy. As much as possible, get
enough sleep. Fatigue will slow
you down during an emergency.
As your prepare for clean up
from a disaster, talk with others
about your feelings. Listen to
theirs Together, look for the pos
itives in the situation, and hope
for the future
How family members can
be more supportive of
one another
• Tell family members when
they have done a good job
• Laugh! Laughter can help
relieve the tension.
• Be considerate of other fam
ily members
• Express love and concern
often
Helping Others
As much as possible, provide
practical help during the disas
ter Help friends or family pack
Furnish meals Store their
belongings; provide them with a
place to stay Parents may be
very busy; offer to spend some
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Responses
time with the children to play
and listen to their concerns.
Listen When others talk
about, their experience and feel
ings, their emotional load seems
lighter to bear. One of the best
ways you can help is just to lis
ten. You don’t have to come up
with solutions or answers.
It’s OK if your neighbor needs
to break down and cry Others
will ask “Why me ? ” They are not
really looking for an answer but
expressing their hurt.
Show by words and actions
that you care. A friendly arm
around troubled shoulders or a
few words of support and
encouragement can help in
times of crisis. Small, kind deeds
and sincere expressions of affec
tion or admiration also will
mean a lot.
About Children
Disasters bring stress to the
whole family including children
Such crises can be extremely
threatening for them. These tips
can help your child cope during
disaster
• Heed public safety warn
ings Quick actions may avert
many difficulties for the whole
family
• tell children what’s going
on simply and matter-of-factly
This helps avoid fear of the
unknown.
• Listen Answer their ques
tions as much as you can.
• Reassure them. Use state
ments like “It’s scary right now,
but we’ll always take care of
vou ”
Pool
NEWARK, Del - More than
1,000 drownmgs and 75,000
pool-related injuries occur each
year in the United States Over
half of these reported incidents
take place mt he five million res
idential swimming pools nation
wide, making pool ownership a
significant responsibility.
"Prevention is key," says Ron
Jester, University of Delaware
Cooperative Extension safety
specialist. "Lean how to swim,
how to rescue others and be
knowledgeable about basic safe
ty rules,.
Take precautions to reduce
the risk of the top three swim
ming-related accidents; falling
on slippery -surfaces, striking
the bottom or sides of the pool
while diving because of insuffi
cient depth, and drowning when
swimming alone or without
adult supervision
Some of the most severe per
manent injuries are the result of
diving into shallow water Using
diving boards and slides with
extreme caution and constant
supervision Safe diving
require-- a minimum water
depth of 8 1/2 feet Prohibit div
ing altogether m above-ground
pools. Clearly mark water depth
on the pool deck and use a safe
tv float line to indicate a change
in depth to keep swimmers
aware of their surroundings
Accidents occurring on the
pool deck can be just as serious
as those in the water Minimize
tripping hazards by keeping a
tidy deck, free of scattered toys
and pool equipment Non-slip
materials on the pool deck, div
ing boards and ladders also are
essential in safeguarding
against injuries
Secure your pool from wan
dering children and uninvited
*:.v,
To Disaster
• Involve children. Let them
help within their ability. This
helps them fell a part of the fam
ily and prepares them for later
situations.
• As much as possible, keep
routines They help children feel
secure
• Show love and support.
• Make sure children know
the family’s difficulties are not
their fault. Children tend to
blame themselves for problems.
• Keep your sense of humor
and enjoy a good laugh together
frequently.
• Take care of your own emo
tions and stress. Children will
reflect your anxiety or your
calm.
During crises, children may
act younger than they are A
child may be irritable or misbe
have This is normal for a child
who is scared and doesn’t under
stand a situation as serious as a
disaster. Children need your
extra patience at this time.
“Neighboring” in times
of trouble
1. Offer specific types of help
or ask how you can help.
2 Go ahead and act Don’t be
afraid of saying or doing the
wrong thing
3 Go ahead and help
4 Keep helping Recovering
can take a long time Your
friends or family members will
need regular, small acts of kind
ness to maintain their morale
and to put their lives back
together
Safety
guests by fencing around all four
sides of the pool. It is preferable
not to use the house as part of
the barrier, especially when
small children reside in the
home. Gates should be self-clos
ing and secured with a lock.
When the leaves begin to fall
and it's time to pull out the pool
cover, don't let your guard down.
Pool covers can be a serious
drowning hazard and should not
replace the security of a fence.
Children or pets may attempt to
cross a covered pool, putting
themselves, as well as those who
come to their aid, at great risk
for drowning. Be sure to keep
pool covers clear of excess water
that may collect on top.
The pool and surrounding
area should be sufficiently lit for
easy visibility at night Keep
appliances, such as televisions
and radios, out of the vicinity
Lock away pool chemicals in a
dry storage area
Ail electrical pool equipment
should comply with local and
federal codes Use only laborato
ry-recognized equipment
installed in accordance with the
National Electrical Code Article
680 Check the code for types of
electrical equipment requiring a
ground fault circuit interrupter
(GFCI)
Essential elements in pool
safety basic first aid, rescue
equipment and a phone should
be accessible at all times
A safe pool area requires sub
stantial and constant attention
Jester urges vigilance when
watching swimming children
and enforcing safety rules
"By establishing and follow
ing safety procedures for your
swimming pool,” says Jester,
"needless injuries and fatalities
will be prevented."
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fib Jr. J
Ida’s
Notebook
Ida Risser
The other week we decided to
attend our oldest grandson's
graduation from high school in
New Jersey. We were invited for
lunch and arnved with vegeta
bles from our garden and four
kinds of berries. I played basket
ball with the seven-year-old
grandson, but he did not like my
method of throwing hoops. You
see, I threw underhand instead
of the regular way
Everything was fine until
evening, after we dressed for the
occasion, we learned that the
ceremony would be held inside
and there were only two tickets
for the parents If it had been
outside, we could have used the
five tickets As David was salu
tatonan, he gave a speech, but
we missed hearing it
However, our daughter did
take us on a historical tour She
drove us to Morristown, New
Jersey where George Washington
Song Birds
COLLEGEVHLE (Montgomery
Co ) - In mid-April, many bird
watchers in Pennsylvania
noticed that gold finches and
pine siskins ' sometimes
appeared tame and were easily
approachable. These birds, soon
died near feeders. In the State
College area, one individual
reported more than 30 birds
dead They were not eating,
feathers wmre ruffled and they
were very listless. As confirmed
by the Animal Diagnostic
Laboratory at Penn State
University, the cause was salmo
tnellosis.
f*
Fifteen states reported high
er than normal songbird mortal
ity this spring and m 13 states
salmonellosis was confirmed as
the cause The disease is often
linked to feeders, especially
large artificial feeding sites with
a high concentration of birds.
The bacteria transmits through
fecal matter and contaminated
food. The primary species effect
ed were American gold finch,
pine siskin, and common red
poll.
There is no successful treat
ment for the disease. It is
uncommon to have so many
eastern states effected, the dis
ease is more widespread in the
western United States. The
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spent a winter in the home of
Mrs. Jacob Ford, Jr She shared
her home with General
Washington and it became his
headquarters
That winter, 1779-80, one of
the biggest problems was find
ing enough food for the encamp
ment of 10,000 soldiers at
Jockey Hollow a few miles awav
The state government and the
Continental Congress weie
needed to clothe and feed the
arm' as more thai 20 snow
storms blasted the log cabins
A museum has been built
near the Ford house It showcas
es soldier's clothes and guns
Also shown here are leather-co\
ered trunks and wooden can
teens.
We had a few days away from
home and even managed to visit
my husband's bother in Berks
County But, our work was still
waiting for us when we got
home
Are Dying
cause for the eastern outbreak is
unclear.
Prevention is the best medi
cine to avert the spread of
Salmonellosis Disinfect youi
feeders on a regular basis. Clean
up food spillage and remove old
food in and from underneath
feeders. Buy feeders that have
smooth edges which are easy to
clean Clean and disinfect wood
en platform feeders on a more
frequent schedule. Set up sever
al feeders and space them
throughout your yard. If you
notice sick birds around your
feeder clean, disinfect and move
it to a new location. The
National Wildlife Health Center,
6006 Schroeder Road, Madison,
WI 53711 has a brochure enti
tled "Coping With Disease at
Bird Feeders". The publication
contains good information on
songbird diseases and ways to
prevent their spread.
Salmonellosis has the poten
tial to affect humans however,
transmission by songbirds does
not pose a significant health risk
to people. After handling feeders
or sick birds wash hands with
warm, soapy water. According to
the Southeast Cooperative
Disease Study, simple sanitation
practices can protect the birds at
your feeders, as well as your per
sonal health
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