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Living with an elderly person or being one presents a few challenges as far as safety goes. Due to old age, one is more likely to cause or be involved in accidents compared to their younger selves. An accident attorney can help you find compensation if any level of negligence is noted on your care provider or other party that increased your chances of being in an accident.
One of the riskiest aspects to the elderly in a given home are fires. To put them under control, practice the following tips.
Cooking
When cooking, avoid loose clothes or other such items as they increase your chances of causing a fire in the home. Have a proper hat, tight gloves and any other items recommended for safe cooking.
In Case of Fire
Unless the fire is a little one such as a rug on fire that can be easily extinguished, avoid trying to put out a home fire. Rather, call for help and exit the building as fast as it is safely possible. Most people (even the able-bodied ones) die in fires trying to put them out rather than calling for professional help.
Risky Items
There are items such as exposed power cords and leaking gas tanks that pose the risk of fire to the household members. These ones should be taken care of as quickly as possible to prevent the occurrence of fires. Insulate the exposed wires and take the leaking gas tanks to the manufacturer for fixing. Always call for help to carry out these take as they are very risky and may lead to more harm if not done right.
Alarms
Always have smoke detectors in the house with a focus being placed on every floor in the home. Smoke detectors work even better when combined with water sprinklers. In the case of a fire, the sprinklers will put it out faster than when one calls for help from the fire brigade.
Power Sockets
Always make it a priority to connect as few items on a single power outlet as possible. Even when all the items connected are within the power rating of the outlet, the fewer the better. If you have many electronics to power up, consider investing in a quality extension that is fused for safety purposes. Keep in mind that having the right quality of equipment may be costly but by far safer than the cheap ones.
Open Flames
The phone flames in your home include cigarettes, candles and cooking flames. These are faster in starting fires in the home than any other sources of fire and heat. Cigarettes should never be smoked when in bed as they are likely to start fires. Candles and cooking flames (or any other naked flames) should not be left in a room unattended to even for the shortest time.
Space Heaters
Space heaters should be installed at least 3 feet away from combustible materials such as paper, curtains and fuels. They should also be turned off when one is leaving a room. Fuels are especially dangerous given that they will catch fire faster than solid materials. These ones should be kept as far away from sources of fire and heat as possible. Even better, store them in their own rooms where they are safe.
When one combines these tips with other safety precautions for the elderly, they will have a safe home to live in. They should be routine tasks since a lapse of any kind may lead to fires. Even the elderly should be taught how to be safe in their own homes by such methods.
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