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Concussion Policy

1.12 Concussion

Policy Statement

Malvern Family Resource Centre takes the health and well-being of all participants in sport and recreation activities seriously.

A concussion is a clinical diagnosis made by a medical doctor. It is critical that someone with a suspected concussion be examined by a medical doctor or nurse practitioner. Malvern Family Resource Centre employees are not equipped to diagnose concussions.

Policy Implementation

A Concussion:

  • may be caused either by a direct blow to the head, face or neck, or a blow to the body that transmits a force to the head that causes the brain to move rapidly within the skull;
  • can occur even if there has been no loss of consciousness (in fact most concussions occur without a loss of consciousness); and,
  • normally cannot be seen on X-rays, standard CT scans or MRIs,
  • is defined as a brain injury that causes changes in how the brain functions, leading to symptoms that can be physical (e.g., headache, dizziness), cognitive (e.g., difficulty concentrating or remembering), emotional/behavioural (e.g., depression, irritability) and/or related to sleep (e.g., drowsiness, difficulty falling asleep);

Policy Procedures

Should a participant receive an injury that causes symptoms that may be linked to a concussion, employees shall do the following:

  • Immediately notify a parent or guardian, or the participant’s emergency contact listed on their registration form.
  • Shall not allow the participant to continue in the activity or to leave the facility unescorted.
  • Shall complete the incident report, including communicating the incident to the immediate supervisor, who informs the Executive Director.
  • Where the participant is a child (under 14) and is in program at the school, the supervisor shall consult with the Principal if he/she is on site at the time of the incident.

Should the participant require immediate medical attention as a result of an injury that may be linked to a possible or suspected concussion, staff shall call 911 immediately.

Risk Management Policies