Senior Care Services Provider Offers Insights on Fire Safety

According to a FEMA study, older adults experience a disproportionate share of fire deaths. At the time of the research, people age 65 or older represented 13 percent of the U.S. population but suffered 35 percent of all fire deaths. As a leading provider of senior care services, we like to share helpful fire safety tips that families should keep in mind to prevent these tragedies.

Make Senior Fire Safety a Priority

Here are some things older adults and their loved ones can do to prevent fire-related incidents and injuries:

  • Install appropriate smoke alarms. For seniors with hearing loss, an audible smoke alarm may not be the best option. Today there are alternatives like alarms that use flashing lights, that can send an alert to a wearable device, or even that vibrate the bed to wake the person.
  • Plan and practice multiple escape routes. Being awakened by a smoke alarm can be a jarring experience for anyone. Create and test multiple escape routes so that a senior is better able to focus when in a stressful situation where time is of the essence.
  • Use a monitoring service. Many home security systems have optional fire alert features that can notify the fire department if smoke detectors go off.
  • Install escape path lighting. Lighting triggered by motion detectors can help a senior find their way both through their home and away from it when they exit.
  • Choose a post-escape destination. For the safety of a senior and first responders who might enter the home to look for them, it’s important that a senior has a predetermined place to go after they make their exit, such as a neighbor’s home. That neighbor should have contact information for the fire department and the senior’s friends, family, or senior care services provider, as appropriate.

Keeping Seniors Safe at Home

Our senior care services team members always have a senior’s safety in mind and encourage families to follow fire safety best practices. Contact us today to learn more about our offerings in a free consultation!

We’re honored to provide quality care for seniors by seniors in Fort Collins, Loveland, Greeley, Longmont, Johnstown, Berthoud, Ault, Firestone, Wellington, Windsor, Frederick, Firestone, Laporte and surrounding areas.