Fire Safety
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Whilst we give several tips here, try not to change your loved one's environment unnecessarily, as this could make their home look unfamiliar - which is obviously unsettling. If you live a long distance away and can't visit frequently, then as far as possible make changes at the start of a long visit, so that you can see whether any of them turn out to be unhelpful and need to be revised or undone (though obviously while you're there you can help explain the changes and see whether that cures the problem).
If a handyperson is required to fit something, see our section on home repair and handyman organisations.
Free fire brigade advice and alarms
In the UK, you can ask your local fire brigade to visit a vulnerable person's home to give advice for their particular house layout and needs, and where eligible they may supply and install appropriate smoke alarms for free. This is generally called a "Safe and Well" visit, or sometimes a "Home Fire Risk Assessment" or a "Home Fire Safety Check". For details see the Fire and Rescue Service section on your county council's (or equivalent's) website.
Smoke alarms and testing
Where and how many
General advice for old folks is that there should be:
- a heat detector in:
- the kitchen
- an optical smoke detector in:
- every bedroom that may be used
- the area outside the bedrooms (in addition to the detectors inside bedrooms)
- the day room
- and there should be at least one detector on each level (storey).
Follow the alarm instructions as to where in the room to install it.
Label what to do if the alarm sounds
Consider placing a label near the alarm to say what to do if there's a constant loud beeping - such as press their personal alarm button if they have one, or call for help from an open door or window, or perhaps call for help using the telephone (if they're good at using it). It's difficult to give general advice, because we don't want to risk sending people outside in freezing cold weather in the night for what may be a false alarm, such as an infrequent beep to indicate a low battery, or something on the television.
Testing, cleaning and batteries
Make sure that the alarm's tested at the intervals indicated in the instructions (usually weekly), cleaned as per the instructions (usually at least every three months), and that batteries and the whole alarm are replaced at the intervals indicated in the instructions (note that the alarm may only last 5 years). Don't forget to keep spare batteries for alarms with replaceable batteries.
Around the cooker
Keep tea towels, hand towels, kitchen towels etc away from the cooker, and make sure there's no fat or grease on the cooker, as these are a common cause of fires. Consider where to put oven gloves so that they'll be used when needed but not be somewhere they could catch fire.
Also see our section on gas cookers, which covers flame safety devices and lockable cooker valves.
Fire blanket
A fire blanket is an inexpensive item that comes in a pouch or tube that can be fastened to a kitchen wall (not too near the cooker, in case the fire prevents it being reached). It has tabs that when pulled will release a fire-resistant blanket that can be put over a small fire to starve it of oxygen and keep heat off the user. Make sure you use a reputable supplier, and look for a good make and the appropriate certification (which in the UK is "BS EN 1869:1997 approved").
Escape key
Where a fire escape route is usually locked from the inside, for example a back door, consider having a key on a hook nearby so that it can be opened in an emergency. Make sure the key isn't visible from the outside, and can't be reached through a letterbox or broken window (burglars use long wires to hook keys and extract them through the letterbox).
Cigarettes
Cigarettes and matches or lighters are a significant hazard, and are best only used supervised.
Objects on windowsills and near windows
Glass or transparent plastic ornaments with curved surfaces can act like a magnifying glass, and if left on a windowsill or near a window can concentrate the sun's rays and set fire to fabrics or paper etc. I know, we worry too much - but it does occasionally happen. Obviously actual magnifying glasses and magnifying mirrors likewise.
An old-fashioned handheld magnifying glass, that's put down flat after use, is far less likely to focus the sun's rays sufficiently than one on a stand, but it's still best to keep any magnifying glass in its own designated place away from direct sun. If your loved one relies on a 'whole page' magnifying glass on a stand to read then it should be possible to find a way of arranging things to manage the potential risk - it would seem disproportionate to stop using it.