HEALTH NOTES

Health Department warns about heat

The state Health Department issued the following tips for preventing child deaths in hot cars.

• Never leave a child unattended in a vehicle, even if the windows are open. The temperature can still rise almost 20 degrees in 10 minutes.

• Always check the back seat before locking your car. Place something you need, like a purse or cellphone in the back seat so you will see the child. Be especially careful when your routine is disrupted.

• If you have to remove items from the vehicle, like groceries, take the child out first.

• Make sure anyone caring for your child has a system to avoid leaving kids in a vehicle.

• Keep your car doors and trunk closed and locked. Place your keys out of children’s reach and teach them not to play in vehicles.

• Oklahoma law allows bystanders who see a child in a locked, parked car to break the windows. Call 911 for emergency assistance if you see a child in danger. After removing the child from the vehicle, stay with him or her until help arrives.

Kids ages 4 and younger are especially vulnerable to heat-related illnesses because their body temperatures rise three times as fast as an adult’s. The National Safety Council estimates reports 21 kids in Oklahoma have died in a hot car since 1998.

Hospices seek volunteers

Integris Hospice and Crossroads Hospice & Palliative Care are seeking volunteers who want to work with people nearing death and their families.

Volunteer duties include spending time with patients while their caregivers take a break, assisting families with errands, answering phones, planning activities and helping hospice staff. All volunteers must complete training.

Crossroads is particularly interested in student volunteers, ages 16 and older. It also asks that volunteers wait at least one year after the loss of a loved one.

To volunteer with Integris, call Carol Prewitt, 8488884. For Crossroads, call Tiffany Fuller, 632-9631, or email tiffany.fuller@crossroadshospice.com.