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Delivering Public Health Messages for Tenancy Sustainment

Module 4 : Impact of Poor Housing Conditions on Health

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Course Objectives

• Identifying hazards and risks around the home

• Impact of hazards on people’s health

• Who is likely to be most affected

• Support agencies/resources available to help

• Action Planning – what difference can you make?

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Learner/Trainer Agreement

• Agreement on confidentiality• Respect for each other: one voice at a time • Feedback for the Pilot• Mobiles off!

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Session One

Health Awareness

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Health Awareness: Exercise 1

• In pairs: when visiting or speaking to residents -What health issues do you come across every day?

• Write these down• Feed back to group • 10 minutes

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Links between Housing & Health

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Session Two

Housing Conditions: Impact on Health

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Carbon Monoxide: Key Facts

• Silent Killer: Poisonous Gas• No smell, No taste, No colour• Common household causes: poorly

fitted/maintained appliances – central heating boilers, heaters, cookers

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Carbon Monoxide: health impacts

• Most at risk: babies/young, pregnant women, chronic heart disease, respiratory problems

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Carbon Monoxide: Signs

• Sooty marks on walls around boilers/stoves/gas fires

• Smoke building up in rooms due to faulty flue• Yellow flames from gas appliances (not blue)• Advice for residents: Seek help immediately –

turn off appliances/open all windows. Call HSE 0800 300 363

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Damp and Mould: Causes

• Poor ventilation of household appliances

• Humidity levels >70%• Poor Heating• Result of water leaks –

long term build up of excess water

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Damp and Mould: Health Impacts

• Increases fungal growth/dust mites• Eye, nose and throat irritation. • Breathing difficulties.• Worsening of asthma symptoms, • Severe lung infection especially for people

with a lowered immunity i.e. people taking cancer treatment, people with AIDS or transplant recipients – young or elderly

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Damp and Mould: Prevention

• Appropriate ventilation in kitchens/bathrooms: extractor fans etc

• Externally ventilate all appliances – clothes dryers etc

• Damp proof courses• External fabric kept in good repair• Properly installed

baths/sinks/toilets/drainage• Frost protection from pipes and tanks

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Excess Cold: Impacts on health

• Healthy indoor temperature 21° C• <16°C serious health risks for elderly• <10°C great risk of hypothermia (elderly)• 50% winter deaths – cardiovascular (heart

attacks/stroke)• 30% winter deaths – respiratory (flu, bronchitis,

pneumonia)

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Excess Cold – main causes

• Sleeping in cold rooms• Dwellings with poor insulation/low energy

efficiency ratings• Properties built before 1850 – greatest risk• Absence of central heating• Excessive damp – reduces thermal insulation• Fuel poverty: currently 2.46 million households

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Excess Cold – Preventative Measures

• Well insulated homes (loft/tanks)• Central heating – well maintained • Low level ventilation/airbricks• Rapid ventilation in bathrooms/kitchen• Properly fitted butt jointed floor

boarding/doors/windows

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Excess Heat: Impacts on health

• Mortality increases in temperatures >25°C• Strain on heart conditions• Increase in strokes• General reduction in health and wellbeing

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Excess Heat – main causes/prevention

Causes• Lack of good

ventilation• Large areas of south

facing glazing• Faulty heating

controls

Prevention• Natural ventilation

or air conditioning• Shutters or blinds• Controllable

heating systems

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Accidents at Home: Key Facts

• More accidents at home than anywhere else• Most common accidents: falls• Stairs: 25% of all home falls• More accidents happen in the lounge/living room• 5000 deaths p.a.• Cost of home accidents: £45 billion p.a.

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Accidents at Home: Risk Factors

• Age• Illness & Disability• Drinking• Smoking• Property layout & risks

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Trip Hazards

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Exercise 2: “In The Know”

• In your groups identify the hazards in one of the rooms provided:

• What health problems might there be for each household?

• What preventative advice could you give?

• What action might you take?

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Exercise 3:Health & Housing Quiz

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In your groups answer the questions as best you can

Prize for the group with highest score !

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What’s my role?

• Constructive relationships

• “Throw a lifebelt”

• Pick up on indicators

• Identify potential problems

• Suggest options

• Motivate and signpost

• Feedback to employer on customer needs

• Be clear about boundaries

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Action Planning

• 3 things which have had most impact from this session?

• 3 actions to take back to your workplace?

• 3 things to help you put learning from this module into practice?

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Contact Sitra

Sitra, 3rd Floor, 55 Bondway, London SW8 1SJ

Tel: 020 7793 4710Email: post@sitra.org

Website: www.sitra.org

@sitrapolicy @sitratraining

Sitra CEO’s blog: http://sitraceo.wordpress.com/