Prevention

Brain injury is FOREVER…

…PREVENTION is the only cure.

Can Brain Injuries be prevented?

Most injuries can be prevented by sitting quietly at home but people don’t want to live their lives that way. But a few simple steps can drastically reduce the risk:

• Don’t drink and drive.
• Wear a helmet when biking, inline skating or snowboarding.
• Wear a seatbelt in the car and make sure children are in safety seats.
• Slip-proof your home, especially the bathroom.
• Play sports responsibly, using the proper equipment.

Tips for Choosing and Fitting a New Helmet:

• Please purchase a NEW helmet. Never buy a used helmet at a swap meet or garage sale – it might be damaged!
• Special Note: Helmets should be routinely replaced about every four years even if they have no apparent damage. This is because bike helmets are single impact helmets. They need to be in good condition to protect your head!

Helmet fit:

• Select a helmet that fits.
• DO NOT buy a helmet that can be “grown into”.
• Use the different sizes of pads that should come with the helmet to make it snug around the head.
• If the helmet is too big with the thickest size pads then the helmet is too big and a smaller one is safer.
• Try different brands and sizes to find the best one for you.

3-point helmet adjustment:

1. No more than two fingers from eyebrows to bottom of helmet.
2. Ear buckles right under each ear lobe. Straps should form a “V” around each ear.
3. No more than two fingers under your chin strap. Helmet should be comfortable but snug.

• Helmet should not “rock” side to side or from front to back.

Fitting Your Child’s Bike Helmet (Acrobat PDF)

Prevention Program:

Our “Heads Up Crew” offers a School Education Program for Grades 4 and 5 students.

This 90 minute, fun and interactive learning experience will educate our children on the brain, what it is made of, how it works and how it can be injured.

For more information about this program click here; to have a presentation, please contact us.

What we do:

We have been bringing this message to the community through awareness campaigns in the media, and have been featured several times on the local cable channel and in the newspaper.

By bringing an education program to grade 4 and 5 students in our area with a special focus on prevention, we  educate on the proper procedures for safety in sports, safe cycling, safety around water, seat belt safety, general traffic safety and a variety of other preventative measures to ensure a reduction in the risk of head injury.

Throughout June, which is Brain Injury Prevention and Awareness month in BC, we  run special programs to promote acquired brain injury awareness.