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HEALTH, SAFETY & WELFARE Janet Lynn, jlynnpgi@hotmail.com

By the time you read this, Thanksgiving will be over and we will be in full swing for the Holidays. I hope you had a good
Thanksgiving and took some time to relax a little, for the upcoming Holidays. As the excitement of the Holidays
approaches, let me wish all, Happy Holidays!

In the United States, December is observed as "Safe Toys and Gifts Month" as a means for alerting us to the need to be
careful when making our toy and gift choices, and to prompt us to keep in mind their safety and suitability. Knowing what
to look for can make a big difference in preventing possible injuries from well-intentioned gifts. Information below
provides an overview of the things to bear in mind when shopping for those toys and gifts.

How to Observe Safe Toys and Gifts Month
For many cultures and beliefs, December is a time when gifts are given in abundance, to celebrate, to congratulate, and
to show gratitude for people we spend time with. The safety and age appropriateness of gifts isn't always uppermost in
the gift purchaser's mind, mostly because we trust that the retailer is providing items that are already certified as safe
and also because sometimes we're not totally clued into the needs or age specific particulars of the gift recipients.

Buy age appropriate toys. Video games have age ratings for a reason. Observe them.

Be aware of what's not considered safe this season. It's a really good idea to keep an eye on a consumer watchdog
site to find out which toys have been recalled recently so you can avoid buying them.

Read the warnings and safety precautions accompanying the toy. These will give you a good idea of suitability and
safety issues for the child in question. This requires some contextual thinking on your behalf, given your knowledge of
the child.

Read the instructions accompanying any toys. Do they make sense? Are they clear? Are you left with any
questions? If you cannot understand the instructions and the retailer isn't able to help you out, put the toy back on the
shelf and let the retailer know that you don't consider the instructions adequately clear to ensure the toy's safe use. You
might also write the manufacturer if you think this would help ensure clearer instructions for other purchasers.

Avoid getting anything that has excess string or cords, such as slingshots.

Buy for durability. With small children, durability is essential. Check that the item cannot be broken easily. Remove all
broken toys and gifts immediately. If they cannot be fixed safely, dispose of them or recycle them where appropriate.

Take allergies and food or chemical sensitivities into account when purchasing gifts for any age group. Both
children and adults can be allergic or highly sensitive to a range of food gifts, especially such food as nuts, MSG infused
food, chocolate, and so forth. Ask them if you don't already know, and avoid purchasing such food items as gifts.

Take time to explain how to use the toy or gift to a child or to anyone who needs instruction.

Ask all gift recipients to be conscious of where they've placed their gifts after opening them if it's a family event,
such as Christmas. A lot of things happen when there is a family gathering and family members and friends might feel
tempted to leave opened gifts in places that are easily accessible to a child. If you don't want to ask them, at least do a
sweep of the present-opening room before leaving it to attend to other activities, and put all small and child unsafe gifts
out of reach. Be sure to let guests and family members know what you've done with their goodies! Keep this in mind also
if there are pets that may have access to the gift-opening room while it is unattended. Don't leave anything laying around
that could be dangerous to Fido or Fluffy in any way.

LUNCH AND LEARN SANDWICH SEMINARS

We have a sandwich seminar on the third Tuesday of each month. The program December 19 will be Volunteering =
Better Health. Come enjoy a holiday luncheon and learn how staying active through volunteering can keep you
healthier longer. RSVP is required as we are capping it at 40 people for this free lunch provided by Bayfront Health.

Please call the PGICA office, to register for this free event at 941-637-1655 so you can hear some important information
and enjoy lunch with your friends.

I am pleased to share with you that the recent blood drive resulted in 11 units of blood. Remember, each donation can
save up to three lives so that means 33 patients could benefit from the lifesaving efforts of blood donors at PGI Civic
Association. The blood donated at your blood drive will likely be transfused into a patient within 48 to 72 hours. The
turnaround is that fast and is that constant. We will be having another blood drive in February, so if you didn’t have a
chance to give, please do so then.

Fawcett Memorial Hospital will host a lecture and possibly a cooking demo, regarding plant-based diets, health and
wellness given by Jaimela Dulaney, MD. Watch for more details in the upcoming months. The lecture is tentatively
scheduled for February 1.
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