Senior Care in Ashland OH
Each year the risk of fire increases around the holiday season. Faulty decorations, outdated heating systems, and unsafe choices can put your aging loved one at serious risk of experiencing a fire. As a family caregiver it is important that you focus energy and attention on reducing this risk. Helping them to understand these risks and make the right decisions can help to protect them from property loss, injuries, and even death.
Top fire safety tips for your elderly parent include:
- Keep alarms up to date. Many people become lazy about fire alarms over the years. You might feel that there are enough in the home that if one goes bad, it will not make an impact. The truth is, every smoke alarm is important. Make sure that the alarms in your parent’s home is in good condition and operating at all times. There should be at least one detector on each floor of the home, including in the basement and attic.
- Keep limitations in mind. If your aging parent is suffering from hearing loss, they might not be able to hear the smoke detector effectively, particularly when they are sleeping. Look for a device designed to use bright lights or vibrations along with the audible alert to make it more effective for your parent.
- Update your parent’s space heater. A space heater can be a fantastic way to help your parent stay comfortable and cut down on their heating bill, but if they are still using an older version, they might be at increased risk of fire. Replace older heaters with new models that turn off if they overheat or tip over.
- Do not overdo the power use. Keep in mind that today’s electrical use far exceeds that of previous generations. Older houses are not designed to take on the amount of energy used by today’s electronics, appliances, and other devices. Do not overload your parent’s electrical system. If your parent has electrical cords that are damaged, frayed, or outdated, do not repair them. Replace them to ensure they remain safe. This is especially important during the holidays when you may be tempted to plug too many decorations into the same plug to create their festive display.
- Ban indoor smoking. Encouraging your loved one to quit smoking all together is the best for their health and well-being, but if they are still smoking, make sure that they do not do it indoors. If your parent goes outside to smoke, make sure that they dispose of the cigarette or cigar properly, including dampening it first.
If you are concerned about your aging parent’s safety or simply want to improve their quality of life and enable them to maintain more independence throughout their later years, starting senior care for them may be the ideal solution. A senior home care services provider can be with your elderly parent on a customized schedule that is right not only for their individual needs and challenges, but also for the care efforts that you are able to put forth for them. This means that your loved one will get everything that they need both when you are able to be with them and when you are focused on other tasks and obligations in your life. When it comes to protecting your elderly loved one from the potential devastation of a fire, this senior care provider can help your parent to understand the challenges and risks that they are facing, make good decisions, and ensure that they are ready to follow through with the emergency plans that you put into place.
If you are considering hiring senior care in Ashland, Ohio, call the caring staff at Central Star Home Health at (419) 610-2161. Providing services for families in Mansfield, Lexington, Bellville, Mt. Gilead, Loudonville, Crestline, Galion, Shelby, Ashland, Wooster, and the surrounding areas.
Source: http://www.aarp.org/home-family/your-home/info-2016/fire-safety-tips.html?intcmp=HP-AE-FLXSLDR-SLIDE2-RL1
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