Elderly Care in St. Louis Park MN
October 9 through 15 is Fire Prevention Week. During this week, focus your caregiver efforts on helping your parent to reduce the risk of fire in their home. This will help to keep your loved one safer as they age in place, and enable you to make plans that will help them to respond effectively should they encounter such a situation.
Try these tips for preventing fires in your parent’s living room:
• Forego flames. Scented candles are a wonderful way to enhance the ambience of any room, but lighting them can put your parent at serious risk. A pet can knock it over, your parent can forget about it, and other situations can occur that might cause that candle to ignite other items. Instead, replace the look of flames with artificial candles. Replace the fragrance with a wax melter or candle warmer.
• Do not overload the outlets. Plugging too many things into an electrical outlet can cause a spark or a short that can lead to an electrical fire. This is especially true in older homes that are not properly equipped to handle high loads of electrical demand. Ensure that your parent does not leave too many appliances or electronics plugged in at any given time.
• Do not crowd heaters. Now that the weather is getting cooler your parent might be in need of some extra warmth in their home, particularly at night. While space heaters can be an efficient and effective way of warming up a small space rather than relying on the climate control system to heat the entire house, they can also pose a fire risk. Make sure that your aging parent knows that nothing should be within three feet of the heater, and that the heater should only be on when someone is awake and alert in the room. They should never use any type of heater that is only rated for outdoor use in the house.
• Keep the fireplace safe. Lighting a fire in the fireplace is a wonderful way to warm up the home and create a welcoming, inviting ambiance. Make sure that this bit of seasonal delight stays safe by having a professional come to check and make sure that your loved one’s fireplace and chimney are in safe condition. Also ensure that it is cleaned regularly and that they use the proper fuel to keep their fires safe and comforting.
If you are concerned about your aging parent’s safety when it comes to fire risk, starting elder care for them can help to give you greater peace of mind. Knowing that there is an elderly health care services provider in the home with your aging parent can give you confidence knowing that they are in the best hands possible even when you are not able to be with them. When it comes to helping your parent prevent fires in their home, this care provider can be a valuable source of assistance that will help prevent potentially dangerous decisions and actions that can start fires. This care provider can also help your parent respond properly and effectively in the event that a fire does occur, ensuring that if they do encounter this type of dangerous situation they have the best chances of getting through it as safely and healthily as possible.
Source
http://www.redcross.org/get-help/prepare-for-emergencies/types-of-emergencies/fire
If you or an aging loved one are considering elderly care in St. Louis Park, MN, and the surrounding areas, please contact the friendly staff at CareBuilders at Home Minnesota. Call today 612-260-2273.
