Comfort Keepers Home Care for Seniors in San Jose, CA: Tips on Fire Safety and Prevention for the seniors
Preventing a home fire with these tips from Comfort Keepers Home Care
The impact of fire
While fires have always been used for warmth, cooking and even as means of protection, the danger that comes with fires that have spiraled out of control cannot be underestimated. Unexpected fires usually leave behind a pile of destruction; wildfires and house fires have destroyed unfathomable amounts of vegetation and property. With all the dangers that come with fires,
Comfort Keepers home care for seniors appreciates that the age group that is most vulnerable tends to be the elderly. Though they comprise just about 14% of the population, close to 40% of the fire victims are usually seniors, especially those who are older than 65 years.
Predisposing factors in the elderly:
The aging process is associated with a decline in our mental faculties and this is directly related to our response and survival in case of infernos. Senior members in our societies tend to be slow in handling their duties and responding to tragedies; Comfort Keepers care for seniors acknowledges that there is a reduction in their abilities to utilize their common senses.
Diminished reaction time also predisposes the elderly to emergencies such as fires which require quick interventions. There are anatomical changes that are associated with this, such as alterations in the structure of corpus callosum and other neural parts. The elderly also tend to be on lots of medication which could also impair their response besides some of them making them extremely sleepy. Comfort Keepers home care is aware of these risk factors that expose the vulnerability of the elderly.
As much as the factors mentioned above make the seniors be more vulnerable to fire accidents, it is also good to appreciate how these accidents come to be. Quite a number result due to kitchen accidents due to poorly monitored cooking and having greasy cooking items that easily catch fire. Electrical hitches could also end up causing fires, the use of alternative sources of lighting such as candles and cigarette smoking in the cooking areas.
Having considered how the elderly are predisposed to the effects of fire accidents and the way they result, adequate caution and response protocol in anticipation of the inevitable fire disasters should be considered.
Tips for fire reduction/ safety during fire accidents
- Installation of smoke detectors; the use of smoke detectors and their installation in the right locations in your home is crucial. Have smoke detectors on your ceiling, sleeping rooms and each floor in a storied building. Ensure that they are in good shape and replace the batteries on a regular basis.
- Develop a response plan; besides having detectors installed, you ought to come up with a simple and elaborate response plan. Exits routes and their alternatives should be in place and the use of aids is also recommended.
- Adopt a cautious cooking approach; as many house fires result from kitchen accidents, cooking needs to be approached with utmost caution with flammable items being at a distance to fire sources. Comfort Keeper care for seniors recommends the use of an ABC fire extinguisher.
- Exercise responsible smoking habits; smoking inside your home is dangerous and you should ensure that ashes are dumped appropriately in metallic containers.
- Inspect your electrical wiring; ensure that your electrical wiring is in good shape and be on the lookout for pointers such as dimming lights, or overloading problems in the switches.
