Fire Safety for Seniors

Recently the Whitby Mental Health Centre hosted the Imagine Film Festival where I saw the movie Away From Her, written and directed by Sarah Polley about a love story of an older couple. The story has two main characters, a husband and wife, with the wife suffering from Alzheimer’s. She enters a Nursing Home at her own request because she is at risk should she remain in her own home. Prior to entering the Nursing Home, the husband has to address the safety issues of having his wife remaining in their matrimonial home versus entering an institution. Both options involve safety issues for those with the ailment and their caretakers.

While working for the City of

Toronto

, one of my responsibilities was looking after the Emergency Plans for the Homes for the Aged. In recent years the number of residents having been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s has increased having a tremendous impact on how to plan for the resident’s safety. Patients with Alzheimer’s can not just be evacuated to another alternate location without taking into consideration the additional safety precautions needed for this group. They tend to wander, forget easily where and who they are and who you are, and tend to make poor judgment calls regarding what is safe and what is not. It is not easy to move them. Not only did the movie remind me of my past employment but also issues with my uncle before he died. My poor aunt went through a trying time trying to keep him at home, and denying the risks to him and her while doing so. My uncle would get up in the middle of the night and leave the house to wander around

Guelph

. Thank goodness

Guelph

is not very large and either a bus driver or police officer would pick him up and return him home. He got to be quite well known in

Guelph

during his illness. Another time he decided to wash the floors using the toilet bowl water to do so. One day he decided to roast onions in the furnace. He was prone to leaving the stove on etc. posing all kinds of safety risks not only to himself but to my aunt.

Nursing homes have locked wards and codes for entering elevators to prevent the wandering and protect the residents with dementia and Alzheimer’s from harm. How do you then move them safely should there own environment become threatened? It is not easy and but is done by partnering with a like facility to house them when needed. Transport is also an issue requiring additional staff as needed for this as well.

Please look at the Fact Sheet below which addresses the needs of a normal, healthy senior bearing in mind their needs can change as mobility and mental abilities change.

Fire Safety For Seniors

The two leading causes of fire deaths and injuries among older adults are smoking materials and the misuse of portable space heaters.

Tips to Remember

• Smokers should have a designated area away from upholstered materials, such as the kitchen table.
• Never smoke in bed while reading - it is too easy to fall asleep and print materials are highly flammable.
• Sleep with the bedroom door closed in order to provide more time to escape if a fire occurs.
• Keep space heaters well-ventilated and at least three feet away from flammable materials. Unplug space heaters when not in use.
• Extension cords are for temporary use only and should not be used with a space heater or electric blanket.
• Never run electrical cords under a carpet or rug.

Smoke Alarms can save your life!

Smoke alarms are inexpensive and easy to install. For assistance with the location and installation of smoke alarms, call your local fire department see and visit our Smoke Alarms fact sheet.

• Ensure there is a working smoke alarm on every floor of the home and outside every sleeping area.
• Have a friend or relative test your smoke alarm while you are asleep to ensure you can hear it.
• Once a month, test the battery by pushing the test button and drift smoke from a snuffed-out candle into the alarm.
• Once a year, change the battery.
• To clean the smoke alarm, open the cover and gently vacuum the unit with a soft brush attachment.
• Replace smoke alarms if they are more than 10 years old.

Fire Escape Planning saves lives:

• Develop and practice a fire escape plan. Be sure to include all hallways and stairs.
• Know: (1) two ways out of every room (2) how to escape from all levels of your home.
• Ensure all doors and windows can be unlocked or opened.

In case of fire - GET OUT AND STAY OUT – never go back into a burning building.

• Crawl low near the floor to the nearest exit maintaining contact with the wall.
• Test the door by feeling it with the back of your hand. If it is hot, do not open. Use an alternative route.
• If the door and knob are cool, stay low with your shoulder against the door while opening slowly. Be ready to close the door if smoke and heat rush in.
• If trapped, put as many closed doors as possible between you and the fire, and seal all cracks in doors and windows with towels or bedding.
• If your clothing catches fire, stop where you are, drop gently to the ground and cover your face with your hands while rolling back-and-forth to put out the flames.
• Cool minor burns with cold water.