Senior Care And Preventing Home Fires

When you're taking care of a senior family member who wants to live on their own and enjoy their independence, you want to make sure you take measures to ensure their safety and security in their own home. One of the biggest dangers many people overlook when it comes to senior care is the danger of home fires. To keep your loved one safe in his or her own home, consider taking fire prevention measures as part of basic home care.  An experienced caregiver from a reputable home care agency, like Retire At Home, can help to determine if a senior's home is fire safe.


Understanding the Dangers

There are many reasons why fires start in a home. Understanding where the dangers are can help you and also your loved one to remain vigilant and prevent fires. Some common causes are:

* cooking
* space heaters and heating units
* cigarettes

Smoke Alarm

First and foremost, ensure that a smoke alarm is installed in the home of your loved one, and ensure that it is functional with an alarm sound that is loud enough for the home's inhabitant to hear. In the event that your loved one is hard of hearing, it can also be helpful to ensure that the alarm is hooked up to flashing lights. It's also possible to install an extra alarm in your loved one's bedroom so the alarm sound is as loud as possible and can wake her or him up if a fire starts during nighttime hours. You'll want to take steps on your own to remember to change the batteries over six months, such as putting this task on your calendar or planner. If you find this informative, you will want to look at wikipedia.

In the Kitchen

For obvious reasons, many home fires start in the kitchen, so as a basic measure in senior care, install a small fire extinguisher in the kitchen and show your loved one how to use it. You can also consider keeping a box of baking soda close by the stove so that your loved one can put out grease fires if necessary.

Home Heating

Home heating is another frequent cause of home fires, so talk to your loved one about how to safely make use of a space heater for added warmth. Consider purchasing a safer electric heater and retire gas units. Also, take measures to keep the heating unit in the house cleaned and serviced regularly, too.

Even though all precautions are taken, sometimes fires can certainly still break out. Speak to your loved one about an evacuation plan, such as which routes he or she can decide to use get out of the home and which neighbor's house he or she can head to in order to call 911 outside the home. While fire safety is not commonly considered when considering home care, you will find that these prevention measures are just a few more things you can do to keep your loved one safe and healthy.