BeeHealthy
Timely Hints for a Healthy Lifestyle
Spinal association

offers watercraft

safety tips

With many families spending their summer vacations at lakes or beaches, United Spinal Association urges vacationers to observe the basics of watercraft safety and has launched a new Motorsafe program to help raise awareness.

In 2005, the U.S. Coast Guard received reports of 4,969 boating incidents; 3,451 participants were reported injured and 697 died.

Open motor boats were involved in 45 percent of all the reported incidents, and personal watercraft were involved in 26 percent.

"Too often we are seeing instances where an adult will rent a personal watercraft, and then family and friends operate it with little or no regard to age or boating education and training," said a representative of the Office of Boating Safety of the Coast Guard.

United Spinal's Motorsafe program stresses the following precautions before going out in the water with a child or allowing a teenager to operate a watercraft:

Know the local weather conditions before heading into the water. Strong winds and thunderstorms with lightning strikes are dangerous.

Wear safety equipment, including a life jacket, eye protection, a wet suit, gloves, proper shoes and a helmet. Make sure everything fits properly, and always operate a personal watercraft with the safety lanyard attached.

Be alert to other watercrafts and the state of the waves and rip currents. Collisions result in more injuries and deaths than any other type of personal watercraft accident.

Never stand up on a personal watercraft or maneuver it through another watercraft's wake.

Avoid sudden sharp turns and excessively high rates of speed. When a passenger, always hold tight and alert the driver if there is danger.

Never operate a personal watercraft in water that's less than two feet deep.

Never operate a personal watercraft at night.

Never operate a personal watercraft while intoxicated or taking medication.

For more information, call 800-404-2898 or visit the Web site www.unitedspinal.org.

Kevin Guest House

to hold annual open house

Kevin Guest House will host its annual community open house and 35th anniversary celebration from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday July 25 at the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus.

The event is being held in conjunction with the National Association of Hospital Hospitality Week.

Thousands of families and patients of all ages and walks of life have found a haven within the homelike environments provided by hospitality houses all over the country.

The event, sponsored locally by Rosina Food products and Tops Markets, will feature complimentary food and beverages and tours of the guest house complex.

The house itself has the distinction of being the first hospital hospitality house in the nation.

"Our open house has been a long-standing tradition in celebrating our anniversary and inviting the public to visit and get a glimpse of our services," said Wayne Zimmerman, executive director of the Kevin Guest house.

"This is a great chance for the community to learn about the house and our mission, which is to offer a respite of affordable accommodations for patients, outpatients and their loved ones," he said.

For more information. call Cathy Allen at 882-1818.