Children’s Asthma in Education & Care Services
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Transcript of Children’s Asthma in Education & Care Services
Did you know ...
— One in ten children have current asthma (that’s over 350,000 school aged students)
— Asthma is a common reason for hospitalisation of children
— Children’s asthma is a major contributor to their being absent from education or care
On average, more than one Australian dies from asthma each day.
Asthma Australia provides asthma training for education and care services across Australia. Training in schools and preschools is supported by the Australian government.
To find out more about asthma contact your local Asthma Foundation
1800 ASTHMA (1800 278 462) asthmaaustralia.org.au
Children’s Asthmain Education & Care Services
Families & staff working together
All Asthma Australia information is endorsed by our Medical and Scientific Advisory Committee and is consistent with the National Asthma Council Australia clinical guidelines.
Asthma Australia information does not replace professional medical advice. People should ask their doctor any questions about diagnosis and treatment.
©Asthma Australia 2013
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Australia License.To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/
licenses/by-nc/3.0/au/ or send a letter toCreative Commons, 444 Castro Street, Suite 900, Mountain View, California, 94041, USA.
This resource is supported by funding from the Australian Government under the Asthma Management Program.
“Don’t be afraid to remind your child’s teacher/carer about your child’s condition. You’ll usually find that they are perfectly happy that you are keeping them up to date”
— Parent of child with asthma
Translating and Interpreting Service 131 450
Working in partnership
It is essential that families and staff work together to achieve the best health and learning outcomes for children with asthma.
A national survey by Asthma Australia of parents and carers identified the key issues for them when communicating with staff about their child’s asthma and other health care needs.
— 87% identified the class/home group teacher/carer as the most important person to communicate with
— 97% thought that parents of children with asthma should provide a Care Plan to the school or care service
— 87% chose regular “face to face” communication as a good way to share information between them and the staff
Other messages from the online survey
— Asthma is a serious condition — Children with asthma have different triggers,
treatments and care needs — Staff need to know what to do in an emergency — Asthma Foundations offer staff training in every
state and territory
—
Children and self-management
Children and adolescents have an important role in managing their own asthma. Families and staff can work together to support them to increase their understanding and confidence. What children can safely do depends on their age and stage of development.
Livewire
Young people with severe asthma aged 10-20 years can join Livewire – a safe, moderated online forum for those with a chronic condition. More information atlivewire.org.au
Asthma Plans
There are many different asthma plans available.
Asthma Action Plans describe what to do when well, when asthma symptoms occur and in an asthma emergency.
Asthma Care Plans can be specific to an education or care organisation, e.g. child care. Some services will require a specific Care Plan.
Other plans can be medication specific Asthma Plans and language/culture specific plans.
Work with the staff at your education or care service and your child’s doctor to decide on the best Asthma Plan for you to provide to the staff.
“Don’t be shy ... the more carers/teachers know the better”
— Parent of child with asthma
Sit the person upright— Be calm and reassuring— Do not leave them alone
Give 4 puffs of blue reliever puffer medication— Use a spacer if there is one— Shake puffer— Put 1 puff into spacer— Take 4 breaths from spacerRepeat until 4 puffs have been taken
Remember: Shake, 1 puff, 4 breaths
Wait 4 minutes— If there is no improvement, give
4 more puffs as above
If there is still no improvement call emergency assistance (DIAL OOO)*— Say ‘ambulance’ and that someone is
having an asthma attack— Keep giving 4 puffs every 4 minutes
until emergency assistance arrives*If calling Triple Zero (000) does not work on your mobile phone, try 112
Call emergency assistance immediately (DIAL 000)— If the person is not breathing— If the person’s asthma suddenly becomes worse, or is
not improving — If the person is having an asthma attack and a puffer
is not available— If you are not sure if it’s asthmaBlue reliever medication is unlikely to harm, even if the person does not have asthma
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To find out more contact your local Asthma Foundation 1800 ASTHMA (1800 278 462) asthmaaustralia.org.au Translating and
Interpreting Service 131 450© Asthma Australia 2013 Supported by the Australian Government
DL AA First Aid Poster.indd 1 3/02/13 5:02 PM
What YOU can do ...
CommunicationMake a time to talk with the teacher or carer about your child’s asthma
— Provide an up-to-date Asthma Plan from your child’s doctor
— Talk about what is normal for your child and their usual triggers, symptoms and medication
— Talk to other key staff
Update the staff regularlyUpdate your child’s Asthma Plan
— At the start of each year — When their asthma or treatment changes — For school camps and excursions
Establish ways to communicate
— E.g. email, text, phone, diaries
MedicationProvide your child’s reliever medication and a spacer for use in an emergency
— Include a mask for children under 5 years — Some children will use their reliever before
physical activity — Make sure medications and devices are clearly
labelled with your child’s name and date of birth and that the medication is in date (do not store in a plastic bag)
Ways to help your child
— Explain asthma to your child — Help them identify their triggers and symptoms — Help them with a routine for taking their asthma
medication — Regularly check that they are using their asthma
medication device properly
A child cannot always communicate their need for assistance. Tell your child what to do if they have an asthma attack and you are not there.
Asthma and children
Asthma is common.
One in ten children have current diagnosed asthma.
Asthma is different for everyone – individuals can have different triggers, symptoms and medications for their asthma, and these can also change. Tell the staff about your child’s asthma.
A child could have their first asthma attack while at school or in care. Asthma Emergency Kits, available through local Asthma Foundations, are recommended for education and care services and can assist in dealing with these situations.
How STAFF can help
CommunicationSchedule times to talk with parents/carers about their child’s health care needs
— Identify and promote times for information updates, e.g. start of year, transition points, excursions and camps
— Encourage the provision of Asthma Plans at these times
— Explain your Asthma Policy to the family — Ensure all supervising staff are aware of each
child’s triggers and symptoms, and where to access their Asthma Plan
— Establish routine systems and contact persons for dependable communication with the family
— Inform parents/carers of all asthma incidents and use of medication
Asthma Friendly education and careAsthma Australia can support education and care services to take an holistic approach to asthma management, ensuring staff work within their professional role and act to keep children safe. This means:
Training Regular Asthma First Aid Training
Equipment Asthma Emergency Kits
Information Asthma First Aid Posters
Policy Sample policies available. Policy elements include:
— Routine and emergency medication management
— Management of asthma plans
Raise awareness of asthma amongst all children, including how they can help someone in an asthma emergency.
Consultation with education leaders has informed this resource
“Talk to the staff and work together. Don’t feel you have to manage on your own”
— Parent of child with asthma