The Latest Mikey Network News

How To Check A MIKEY Defibrillator

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We often get questions about our MIKEYs – who should use them, when they should be used, how they work, and more. Last week, we received a wonderful photo of a student checking a MIKEY defibrillator at the University of Waterloo, which made us think that we should share a list of things everyone should know about using a MIKEY AED.

Below is a list of questions and answers that we often get about our MIKEY defibrillators as well as some tools on how to properly check and test them.

MIKEY Tips and Tools

How Often Should I Check To Make Sure my Mikey Defibrillator is Working?

You should be checking to make sure that your MIKEY defibrillator is working at least once a month. This is essential to ensure that your MIKEY is in working order and is ready to save a life if the need should arise.

To check if it is, use our monthly check up manual available in the link below.

 The Mikey Network Monthly Maintenance Manual

Who Can Use a MIKEY?

Anyone can use a MIKEY. Yes, even you. You don’t have to be a medical professional to use a MIKEY and save a life! Just follow along to the instructions. It’s safe and easy for anyone to use.

When should I use a MIKEY in an Emergency?

When someone experiences sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) in a public place, the most critical actions a bystander can take are to call 9-1-1, and deliver cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) to provide blood flow to the heart and brain. One person can do this while another runs to look for a nearby MIKEY (AED).  Once they return with an AED, you can start preparing to operate a charge.

Does an AED Always Deliver a Shock?

The MIKEY automatically assesses the situation and diagnoses if there are potentially life-threatening heart rhythms. If, and only if, the AED detects a problem that may respond positively to an electric shock, it permits a shock to be delivered to restore a normal heart rhythm.

What If I don’t Know the Steps to Use an AED?

The MIKEY gives simple audio instructions designed for ordinary people.  You just open the case and follow the instructions that are delivered through voice prompts. Some MIKEYs automatically provide a shock and some require you to push a button. The MIKEY will tell you when and if you should push the button to deliver a shock.

Can I be Sued if Something Goes Wrong?

Did you know it’s impossible to be sued for using a MIKEY to help someone? Every province has legislation protecting bystanders from lawsuits when they are only trying their best to help someone in an emergency – even if something goes wrong.

Need to find a MIKEY? We have placed over 2000 MIKEY’s all over the world, see where the nearest one is to you. 

How To Prepare for a Heat Wave

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With the rising temperatures across Canada, government agencies have been sending out warnings to citizens about the risk of extreme heat.

This heat has largely affected the areas of Southern Ontario, Quebec and the East Coast.  With 15 deaths in Quebec already this summer, now more than ever is a good time to know how to prepare yourself against the extreme heat.

Most Canadians think that extreme heat can only affect the elderly, but often it can affect people who are suffering from illnesses, and those with heart conditions. We’ve created a list of criteria to follow that you can use to prepare yourself and your loved ones for the heat of the summer.

How to prepare for the extreme heat

Preparing for a heat wave

  • Find areas or ways to keep cool in your home when it’s hot out. This can be as simple as setting up your home with air conditioning or fans.
  • Plan out your day, and know about places that are cool. Most public buildings, malls, and offices offer air conditioning during the day.
  • Discuss heat safety precautions with members of your household. Have a plan for wherever you spend time – home, work and school – and prepare for the possibility of power outages.
  • Make sure to have a plan for your pets as well as your family and make sure that their needs are met. Depending on how shaggy your pets are, they can get pretty hot on summer days.
  • Get trained in first aid, so that you’re able to recognize and respond to emergencies in the heat. The Mikey Young at Heart app is a great tool on the basics of first aid, and how to use an AED, but if you want a full accreditation we recommend reaching out to your local municipality or St.John’s ambulance.

During a Heat Wave

  • Drink plenty of cool fluids. It’s important to keep drinking plenty of fluids throughout the day as you want to remain hydrated throughout.
  • If you can, aim to avoid being outside at the hotter portions of the day. If you can’t, make sure to take regular breaks in a shaded area.
  • Know the humidex rating – it combines the temperature and humidity to indicate how hot the weather feels to the average person.
  • Dress for the heat and for your activity level. Wear light, loose clothing to let air circulate and heat escape.
  • Always wear a hat and apply sunscreen before going outside.
  • Slow down your activities as it gets hotter. Don’t work, exercise, or play outside for an extended period of time. Take frequent breaks if you must work outdoors to let your body cool off.
  • Avoid caffeine and alcohol because they can cause dehydration, which stops your body from controlling its temperature properly.

Symptoms to look out for:

  • Dizziness or fainting
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Rapid breathing and heartbeat
  • Extreme thirst
  • Decreased urination with unusually dark yellow urine
  • Changes of behaviour in children

Things that you can do to help others

  • Bring extra supplies with you that you can give away to friends or to someone in need, like a bottle of water. This is extremely helpful when you’re planning to go out for a day at the park or another public area.
  • Check in on neighbours, family members, and friends who you know don’t have air conditioning, are older, or have illnesses. Bring them a care package of water, and spend time with them to make sure that they’re alright.
  • Share on social media or other online platforms the location of cooldown centres, or water stations in your area.

For this list, we referenced an advisory from the Red Cross. If you need more advice on heat waves or an understanding of how to respond to different emergencies, we recommend using their site as it has many great resources. 

 

Heart Healthy Summer Meals

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With the summer season upon us, it means that many Canadians will be taking full advantage of the outdoors. Summer allows us to enjoy activities that we wouldn’t normally have the ability to do the rest of the year as the environment is often too cold.

For these reasons, Canadians tend to gravitate towards BBQing and eating outdoors as primary summer activities.

The change in climate doesn’t always provide you with the best benefits though, as foods that you reserve for summer can also bring a lot of risk to your diet. Many of us are prone to gravitating towards less healthy choices that might be higher in fat, such as burgers and hot dogs.

With it being the Canada Day long weekend, we wanted to provide alternatives to the normal summertime food fare, so we reached out to our registered dietitian, Marsha Rosen, to share some of her favourite summertime heart-healthy meals.

Heart Healthy Meals

Tilapia and Vegetables

Grilled Corn Salsa

Piri Piri Chicken

Bulgur Wheat Salad

Peachy Chicken Salad

Summer Fruit Smoothie Ice Pops

Vanilla Lemon Berry Parfaits

Tart Apple Buttermilk Cake

 

Recipes From Our Resident Expert, Marsha Rosen, RD
Here are some heart-healthy recipes provided by Marsha Rosen, RD (Registered Dietitian). Marsha is Mike Salem’s sister and in addition to offering private nutrition counselling, Marsha provides group lectures, seminars and cooking demonstrations.

If you have a nutrition question for our dietitian, you can email Marsha here…

Do you have a heart-healthy recipe that you would like to share? Send your recipes to info@mikeynetwork.com

 

Summer Heart Healthy Activities

We have officially started the summer season and now more than ever is the perfect time to give your heart health a boost while having fun. To help you get moving and enjoying the beautiful outdoors, we’ve shared some of our favourite activities to do during the summer.

Fun Summer Activities

Walking

There are so many benefits to walking regularly for your heart health. It’s affordable, accessible, helps you to burn unwanted calories and it’s simple to master. More importantly, especially during the summer, it allows you to go places you may have never gone and discover more of the great outdoors. Most research studies suggest that from three to five hours of walking a week is the optimum for improving health.

A great summer’s day outing with walking in mind is to plan for a picnic in a park.  This is an easy activity that every member of your family can do, and can build into a range of other games and sports that more active members of your family can take part in.

Biking

Dust off that bike that’s been sitting in your garage all winter and use it to explore. Biking (depending on how far you go) can be one of the next easiest activities to do. During the summer there is so much to see, so hop on that bike with a friend or loved one and see what your city has to offer.

Make sure to stay well-hydrated while on your biking adventures. You’re more likely to be going further distances, so make sure that you have plenty of snacks and water with you to stay properly energized.

Swimming

This is simply a no-brainer. What better thing to do when there’s sweltering heat than to go to the local pool and cool off during the hotter days of the summer. Many municipalities and city’s have pools that are open to the public; some of them are even free to use! Check out what facilities are available in your area and plan for a day to get a nice tan and to cool off.

Make sure to bring plenty of sunscreen with you when you go to a pool. Often people will apply and then will jump in the pool. This, unfortunately, takes off of that layer of protection that you just put on and leaves you vulnerable to getting a very bad burn. Make sure to re-apply each time you leave the pool and plan to sit in the summer sun.

Low-Activity Sports

If you’re playing a sport it doesn’t always have to be an activity where you’re completely sweating the entire time. Look to join activities that are fun, active and won’t leave you feeling fatigued. Some of our go to’s are Tennis, Golfing, Lawn bowling and simply throwing around a frisbee.

If you need some ideas for other summer activities, we recommend checking out the Participaction website. It has a library full of activities that you can do either by yourself or with others, to keep active.

Men’s Health Week

Leading up to Father’s day this weekend, the Canadian Men’s Health Foundation has declared June 11th – June 17th, as Men’s Health Week in Canada. The week takes aim at creating a conversation among men about what they need to do to remain healthy. With recent news stories about men’s health declining across the country, with one story sharing that 72% of Canadian men are borderline unhealthy and/or unhealthy, it’s worth taking note of ways that men across Canada can improve their health.

The Mikey Network wants to contribute to this change, so we’ve compiled some tips and resources that men can use to better their health.

Tips and Resources on Bettering Your Health

Canadian Men’s Health Foundation

We want to begin by recommending the Canadian Men’s Health Foundation website. It has some wonderful stories about men who have taken steps to better their health, and offers resources on ways that men can improve; including this excellent chart of when you should regularly go for check-ups on your heart health, blood pressure, skin, and much more.

Associated with the  Canadian Men’s Health Foundation website is their brother site dontchangemuch.ca. This site goes further into ways that you can improve your health, including diet tips, ways that you can stay active and how you can even do check-ups or tests on yourself; including how to perform a testicular self-exam.

Heart Healthy Recipes

One’s diet is highly important to a man’s overall health, which is why at The Mikey Network we’re happy to share heart-healthy recipes that we’ve accumulated. These recipes, curated by our Registered Dietitian, Marsha Rosen, are meals that are simple and that you can use throughout the day. Check out our Heart Healthy Recipes page to learn about the 25 different recipes that you can use for a heart-healthy diet.

Physical Activity

Keeping an active lifestyle is essential to having a healthy and longer life. If you haven’t been as active in recent years, it can be incredibly hard to to get back into a regular routine though.

Those who are looking to get back into regular physical activity will often begin simply by signing up for a sport, or by doing a non-stressful activity like walking. Both of which are easy ways to introduce yourself back into a regular routine. Doctors will often recommend that three to five hours of walking or of vigorous exercise a week is the optimum for improving health.

If you’re completely lost, we recommend looking at participactions website. They have a wide variety of guides and recommendations on sports or activities that you can do to become active again; ranging from rock climbing to volleyball.

Quit smoking

There have been countless studies stating that smoking can be detrimental to one’s health. By reducing or removing smoking from your daily routine, you can see positive benefits to not only your heart health but the rest of your body as well.

If you’re interested in quitting, the government of Ontario has a page dedicated to helping you quit your smoking habit, which even includes a smokers helpline. Reach out to them today if you’re interested in taking the first steps towards a healthier you.