Spring Plans Should Include Talks of Fire Safety

When the clocks move forward, people know to change the batteries in their smoke and fire detectors. Few people stop to think about the importance of talking about fire safety with their elderly parents. You should do that each spring. Bring up these talking points with them. 
 
Talk About Smoke and Fire Detectors 
 
Ask your parents if they have smoke and fire detectors on every level of their home. If they do, test them to make sure they work. Are they suitable detectors with a date code that’s within 10 years? If they’re missing any detectors or have some that don’t work, add and replace them immediately. 
 
Go to other rooms and make sure you can hear the beep. If you’re in the bathroom with the door shut, can you hear the smoke detector that’s on that floor? If not, it’s time to install another detector. Getting sets that sync up helps make sure you can hear them no matter where you are. 
 
Go Over the Escape Plan 
 
From every room in the home, you need to teach your parents the best ways to get out if there is a fire. If your parents are in their bedroom and a fire breaks out on the stairs, they’ll need to escape through a window. Do they have a safe way to get to the ground? 
 
If your parents have a roof next to their bedroom window, they can slide down the roof to the ground. If they have a pergola over a back deck or patio, they could climb onto that pergola and climb down from there. 
 
From the kitchen or dining room, what would your parents use as an escape route? Make sure you’re considering all of the areas a fire might start. Your parents would need to evacuate without going into the areas where the fire started and spread. 
 
Practice the escape plans regularly. Try to do it at least twice a year. Spring/summer and fall/winter are good times to practice the escapes. Teach your parents that there may be times they need to crawl low or climb over things to get out of the house. 
 
Talk About Fire Prevention 
 
Talk about fire prevention, too. If your parents use space heaters rather than the furnace on the spring nights that the house cools down, they need to be at least three feet from furniture and curtains. They need to turn off the oven and stove top when they’re doing cooking. If they regularly forget, it’s a good sign that elderly care services could help out. 
 
Have you looked into the help elderly care aides offer older adults? If you worry about your parents being alone every day, it’s time to research caregivers. Talk to an elderly care agency and discuss the things your parents need help completing. Call an agency to talk about pricing and services. 

If you or an aging loved-one is considering Elderly Care in St. Charles, MO please contact the caring staff at Autumn Home Care, LLC today at 636-448-9347. 

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Kimberly Burdo

Owner at Autumn Home Care, LLC

Autumn Home Care is a locally owned and operated in-home elder care provider, dedicated to helping clients remain in the homes they love for as long as they can. We are a non-medical home care company, staffed by warm and compassionate professionals, experienced in taking care of seniors in various stages of health. We handle a wide range of services, such as help with shopping, housekeeping, attending doctor’s appointments, and preparing meals. We also provide clients with limited mobility or more intensive conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease or Dementia that need a higher level of personal care. Call our team if you need help with a loved one's care.

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