Icy winter results in more emergency visits

Richmond Hill Liberal
March 17, 2014
By Kim Zarzour

Being 77 years old and from Montreal, Jerry Ram has seen a lot of winters - but this winter beats all.

For seven weeks this year, the Richmond Hill resident hobbled around in a cast thanks to icy sidewalks.

He is not alone.

Many more York Region residents experienced twists, turns, breaks and bruises this winter than in previous years, according to reports from local hospitals and emergency medical services.

Mackenzie Richmond Hill Hospital, which covers a catchment area of southwest York from Richmond Hill to Vaughan, reports a significant increase in falls due to ice and snow compared to last year.

Last winter, the average number of emergency visits due to slips and falls was 250; this winter, that number is well over 600 visits between November and the end of February, the hospital reports.

Southlake Hospital in Newmarket has also observed an increase in falls related to ice and snow, according to Dr. Marko Duic, chief of emergency.

Markham-Stouffville did not have readily available information on emergency room visits, but York Region EMS has also seen an increase in calls related to weather this season.

Susan Wood, EMS deputy chief, said weather-related calls increased from 18,043 last winter to 19,533 between Nov. 1 and Feb. 28.

“It’s a reminder to be cautious on roads and sidewalks and be mindful that even if snow has been removed, surfaces may still be slippery,” Ms Wood said. “Also, with fluctuating weather conditions, keep in mind that what is wet now can turn icy very quickly.”

Ingrid Davis discovered that the hard way. The Aurora resident fractured her right wrist last month and is spending the winter “trying to live as a leftie”, wearing a cast until early April.

“I slipped on ice hiding under the snow. Missed a big presentation I was giving in the city.”

Mr. Ram, whose cast has finally been removed after a frustrating winter, blames cost-cutting and bad decisions by the municipality.

The Richmond Hill resident slipped on the sidewalk in front of his house the day before Christmas. It was shortly after the ice storm.

“Where was the salt, where was the grit on top of the salt?”

Mr. Ram said he was in a cast, reliant on a rented walker and spent most of the winter indoors.

“I think people have to be more vocal with councillors,” he said, adding it is not the fault of sidewalk plow operators but rather, poor choices in equipment investment.

“Montreal knows what they’re doing. When there’s a snowstorm, one day later it’s all cleared.

“I love the winter and if I have to die, I hope it will be while I’m out shovelling ... but I’m tired of navigating the snow. It’s absolutely disgusting out there.”

Part of the problem, said Heather Riddell, operations director in Mackenzie’s emergency department, may be due to the fact that residents remain indoors during inclement weather. When the snow stops falling, they may quickly head out without taking time to notice what’s under foot.

“Listen to weather reports,” she advises. “The sun may be shining, but it could still be cold and frozen out there.”

It’s important to keep shovelling snow as it accumulates and use salt, sand and handrails if available, she adds.

While walking, watch for water sources – drains or eavestroughs, for example - and be aware that in cold temperatures, surfaces can quickly turn to ice.

Puddles in your own driveway may pose a danger if you let down your guard, she said.

Also important to stay out of the emergency room, she said, is proper footwear that is appropriate for weather conditions.

Dr. Geoff Fernie, director of research at Toronto rehabilitation Institute, agreed with that advice.

The institute, part of the University Health Network, uses a high-tech lab to investigate prevention of falls.

Dr. Fernie said footwear is key, but you can’t tell how a shoe will perform by looking at the treads, or the price.

His researchers have tested “aggressive looking” boots, expensive brands, and those advertised as having been to the North Pole, and been “reduced to laughter” at their performance in slippery conditions.

Footwear performs differently depending on conditions, he said.

Tests show smooth soles do better on wet, icy hills but as soon as it’s cold, and dry snow is sprinkled snow on the ice, those smooth soles do worse.

Dr. Fernie said the most dangerous conditions are wet ice, where precipitation has melted and refrozen, and areas where ice patches are hidden under a sprinkling of snow.

“The consequences can be very serious. It’s frightening in particular for older people. They lose out on exercise and sunlight and socialization. You get depressed. It’s horrid to be frightened to go outside.”

While roads may be well-cleared, private walkways and driveways can remain treacherous - and often those most afraid to go out in winter conditions are those least likely to be able to clear away the ice and snow, he said.

Dr. Fernie said the institute is hoping shoe store companies - which are manufacturing their boots now in preparation for next winter - will make use of the research lab to have their products tested and get them labelled so that consumers, shopping for boots next year, will know which conditions they are most suited for.

His researchers are also developing new advanced soles that provide for better winter mobility, he said.

Until then, he suggests, the best solution to finding safe footwear for a challenging winter or icy spring days: word-of-mouth. “If your friend has had good success with a pair of boots, then go with that.”