Important Fire Safety Practices to Keep Your Senior Alive in a Fire

Home fires are especially dangerous for the elderly. Many elderly individuals may not have the physical or cognitive ability to get out quickly if the worst happens and a home fire occurs. Whether your elderly loved one lives with you and your family, is still living independently in her own home, or has senior home care services, being prepared before a fire breaks out is the best way to protect her safety.

 

Why are Older Adults at a Higher Risk for Fire Fatality?

There are several reasons that getting out of a home quickly when a fire takes place is more difficult for older adults.

• Mobility Issues: Many fire escapes require too much strength or dexterity to use.
• Cognitive Issues: If your loved one has any cognitive issues such as dementia, knowing what to do when a fire breaks out may be difficult.
• Hearing Issues: If your loved one takes out his hearing aid each night to sleep, he may not hear a fire alarm within enough time to give him a warning to leave the home.
• Sight Issues: Bad eyesight can make any type of maneuvering especially difficult at night. Your loved one may not be able to find her way to the door when hallways are filled with smoke.

 

Preventative Steps You Can Take to Increase Fire Safety for Your Senior

Assuming the worst has happened and a fire has broken out in the home, here are some steps you and senior home care providers can take to help improve the chances of your loved one being able to escape her home safely.

 

Clear a Path

Every room should have at least two exits, but having two exits isn’t the solution if one of them is not usable. If one exit from a room is a window, make sure your loved one can easily get to the window (and not have to climb over furniture), and then keep the floor leading to the exit cleared off.

You may need to do a bit of rearranging around the home to make sure each one has exits that are always easy to use no matter what other chaos is happening during a home fire.

 

Make Exits Accessible

In connection with clearing a path, you need to make sure that once your loved one gets to the emergency exit, she can use it without too much effort. A fire will make following even the simplest of steps more difficult.

Routinely check windows to make sure they are easily opened, and that screens can easily be taken or pushed out.

 

Install Warning Devices That Your Loved One Will Notice

This may mean putting in smoke detectors that have strobe lights in addition to loud alarms. You also need one in every room of the home and the batteries should be replaced every six months.

 

Senior Home Care Providers Can Help with Fire Safety Prevention

Having a senior home care provider who can routinely do safety checks and talk to your senior about what to do during a fire can help protect her. Then, even if the senior home care provider is on the other side of the home when a fire breaks out or is not there, your loved one will know what to do and how to do it.

 

 

If you or an aging loved one is considering Senior Home Care in Reston, VA, please contact the caring staff at Butters Home Health Care today. (703) 371-2113