The Latest Mikey Network News

Take part in Digital Health Week 2020

November 16-22, 2020, is Digital Health Week in Canada. The week, which has been organized by Better Health Together, aims to celebrate and recognize how digital health is transforming the delivery of healthcare across the country as more and more of our systems adapt to digital landscapes.

The Mikey Network understands the importance of offering access to healthcare online, as it can help many of the people that we work with regularly. Digital health tools can help you perform CPR in emergency situations or keep track of your prescriptions.Here are some examples of technology that will help you to be more heart healthy:

Fitness Trackers

As wearable technology develops many people are now opting for fitness trackers to help monitor their health. In addition to being a watch and a way for you to keep track of your fitness workouts, many can keep an accurate reading of your heart rate. Fitness trackers can be highly beneficial to those of us who recently suffered a heart attack and want to make sure that they don’t overwork their heart.

Some of the most popular trackers are from Fitbit and Garmin, but hybrid fitness tracker/smart-watch options from Apple and Samsung are beginning to gain popularity.

Mikey Young at Heart App

Although our app is geared towards teaching teenagers who can fill their school’s volunteer hour requirements while learning CPR/AED, it is useful to anyone who wants to learn how to perform CPR and how to use an AED in an emergency situation.

Once you download the app, you can work through the different courses and exercises to prepare you for emergency situations you may face if you see someone suffering from a cardiac arrest or a heart attack. It’s available on the Google Play and Apple app store.

Iamsick.ca

Have you ever found yourself asking your friends or family for a good doctor, or if they know of a specialist that could help you? Iamsick.ca can help you with that.. Simply type in your location and it will provide you with a full list of all of the doctors, hospitals and pharmacies that are in your area. The best part about it is that you can access the tool at any time; on your computer, or via the app on your phone.

Nike Running app

Are you looking to get back into working out, but don’t want to spend a bunch of money on a fitness tracker? Try out the Nike+Run app. It’s completely geared towards working with you on your fitness progress. You can develop a plan and it will record the distance, routes, and personal records that you achieve. It will also offer one-on-one coaching to get you to your fitness goals.

Do you have some digital health tools that you’d like to share? Leave your suggestions in the comments or reach out to us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

Heart Healthy Tips For Shoveling

Winter yard work

With much of the country already experiencing plenty of snowfalls this winter, we thought that it would be a good time to talk about how the cold weather can increase the risk of a heart attack or a sudden cardiac arrest. More importantly how you can protect your heart and reduce that risk.

Although shoveling can seem like an easy chore, it can easily become a strenuous activity leaving you with plenty of fatigue. Lifting snow with a shovel back and forth across a driveway can take a lot out of those who are not regularly active. This can also be the case for those who have snowblowers, as the act of pushing the heavy machine can cause the same amount of strain.

In addition to the activity, the cold weather is another contributor to an increased risk as it can boost blood pressure, interrupt blood flow to part of the heart and make blood more likely to form clots.

Follow our tips below to make sure that you’re well prepared for shoveling your home this winter.

Before you shovel snow

  • If you’re recovering from a recent heart attack or have any doubts about shoveling affecting your health, please contact a doctor.
  • Look to avoid shoveling early on in the morning. Your blood is more prone to clotting due to the lower temperature. Aim to do it at a warmer point of the day if possible.
  • Do not eat a heavy meal before shoveling, as your blood will be diverted from the heart to the stomach.
  • Treat shoveling like a workout and warm up your body before you begin. Even something as simple as walking to the end of the street will be beneficial.
  • Do not drink coffee or smoke for at least one hour before or one hour after shoveling. These are stimulants and elevate your blood pressure and heart rate.

While shoveling snow

  • Use a small shovel that you can comfortably handle, rather than one that can pick up a lot of snow. Having a smaller shovel will allow for more loads, and won’t stress out your body.
  • Give yourself a lot of time to shovel. Plan to make frequent, 15-minute breaks.
  • Drink plenty of water
  • Dress in the appropriate amount of layers. Dress so you avoid hypothermia, but not too much and overheat. You could sweat a lot with too much clothing, which could result in the opposite effect of what you’re hoping for.
  • Make sure to cover your head and your neck.
  • Cover your mouth (breathing cold air can cause angina or trigger breathing problems).
  • Watch for the stereotypical signs of a heart attack: lightheadedness, dizziness, being short of breath or if you have tightness or burning in chest, neck, arms or back. If you or you think someone is having a heart attack, call 911 right away.

We hope that you’ve found these tips valuable. Stay safe and happy shoveling!

Where Can You Find a Defibrillator in an Emergency?

November is CPR month in Canada and many organizations are doing their part to help educate Canadians on how to properly respond to emergency situations. Knowing how to do so is important, as emergencies where CPR is required, has a vastly better outcome if there are bystanders actively performing CPR, rather than waiting for help to come.

In the cases of Sudden Cardiac Arrest the chances of being saved increase even more if you are using an AED or a defibrillator, like our MIKEY’s. These aren’t always as easy to find though as they’re primarily set up in locations that large numbers of people frequent, like hockey rinks or schools. It’s important to have them available in locations like these as they’re so often frequented by the public, but because these locations are so big, they can often be difficult to find.

To help you know where AED’s are, we encourage you to check out the Ontario Registry which indicates where an AED is closest to you in the province (If you don’t live in Ontario, we encourage you to check if your province has an up to date registry). Although the registry has many AED’s added, it doesn’t have them all. So, we encourage you to always keep an eye out when entering a large location so that you know where to find one in case of an emergency.

St.John’s Ambulance

We also recommend a newer tool from our friends at the St.John’s Ambulance. They have partnered with AEDMAP to create an app the shares the location of AED’s throughout Canada. It utilizes google maps and indicates where AED’s are in proximity to your location.

Fortunately, we have a pretty good grasp of all of the locations that our MIKEY’s are housed. We have 100 MIKEY’s placed in GO stations in and around the GTA, a MIKEY on every one of TWO MEN AND A TRUCKS® moving trucks, and a full list of MIKEY’s that we’ve donated to families, schools and organizations from all over the world.

Connect with us on our social channels, and let us know where you’ve seen a MIKEY!



Learn How to Save a Life During CPR Month

November is CPR Month in Canada and various organizations  are aiming to highlight the need for Canadians to know the proper procedures for resuscitating someone in an emergency situation.

The importance of knowing how to perform CPR is more important than ever, as each year 23,000 lives are taken because of heart attacks and cardiac arrest. Heart attacks may sometimes lead to cardiac arrest, a condition in which a person stops breathing and their heart stops pumping blood.

Fortunately for Canadians that are interested in learning how to save a life, there are many resources available that can teach you the proper procedures. We’ve composed some of these helpful resources into a list below.

CPR Resources

The Mikey Young at Heart App

The free app which was created to provide high school students with an understanding of CPR procedures and how to use an AED, is taught through instructional videos that they can view at their own pace. Not only is the app easy to use, the hours accumulated on it also count towards their volunteer hours that they will need to earn during the semester. Don’t worry if you’re not in school, the app can be used by anyone.

Download the app today to learn more.

Learn How To Maintain an AED

When using an AED, the odds of a life being saved are greatly increased, which is why it’s so important for people around the world to know how to use and operate an AED.Along with knowing how to use a defibrillator, it’s also hugely important that you know how to maintain and check if it’s working.

It is easy to make sure a defibrillator like our MIKEY’s are properly maintained and ready to save a life should the need arise. Follow the link here to learn how to properly maintain an AED. Click here to download our checklist and manual.

The St. Johns Ambulance

The National organization has been a stalwart for CPR information throughout Canada since their inception in 1883. They offer various courses depending on type of first aid training certifications that participants are looking for. They also act as a great source for any first aid guidelines and industry information as they are seen across Canada as the experts in certifications for first responders.

 The Heart and Stroke Foundation

The organization which gathers funding and organizes studies in the areas of heart and stroke, is a great resource for information on how to respond to emergency situations. On their site they have short videos on how to react to a cardiac arrest, or how to use an AED; as well as some nice promotional materials that are downloadable and can be hung up in your workplace, school or home.

If you’re aware of another resource that you think is valuable, please feel free to let us know. Take the steps today, that can help save a life tomorrow.



Man gets a second chance at life because a MIKEY AED was available

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We’ve just received the amazing news that another life has been saved with a MIKEY AED we placed.

A male in his 50s went into cardiac arrest at the Greystone Racquet Club, in Waterloo, ON. Some members at the club quickly went into action starting CPR. A member that happened to be a chiropractor, applied the MIKEY and the patient was revived. EMS arrived within 5 minutes and was able to safely transport the patient to hospital. We are told the man is in good health and doing well.

This MIKEY was placed in 2007 and we are so grateful it was available when it was needed most.