Safety Tips for Seniors

Statistics

Senior adults are the fastest growing segment of the population. Approximately 13% of all Americans are over age 65. Statistically, persons in this age group are twice as likely to die a fire related death than the general population. Persons age 75 and older are three times as likely to suffer a fire related death and persons age 85 and older are four times more likely. The three leading causes of home deaths among the senior population are:

• Trips and falls in the home
• Fires caused by portable space heaters
• Smoking and cooking fires sixty percent of fatal falls in the senior population occur in the home, and falls account for 87% of all bone fractures in the elderly.
• Have at least one working smoke alarm
• Test the smoke alarm once a month
• Change the battery once a year
• Have a working light outside your front and back doors
• Have emergency information readily available
• Clearly label all medicine

In Case of Fire

• Know where the exits are
• Practice getting out safely
• Crawl low under smoke
• Call 911 from a neighbor's house

If Your Clothes Catch on Fire

• Stop, drop and roll or smother the fire with a blanket, towel or rug
• If you get burned, seek medical attention

Smoking

• Use a large non-tip ashtray
• Empty ashes often
• Dampen ashes before emptying into a garbage can
• Empty ashes into a metal container
• Do not smoke when using oxygen
• Do not smoke in bed

In the Bathroom

• Use non-slip rugs
• Have a grab bar, rubber mats or non-slip strips in your tub or shower
• Do not have electronic items plugged-in where they could fall into water (like a bath-tub, shower or sink)

In the Kitchen

• Keep lids near by when cooking
• If your pan catches on fire, carefully slide a lid on the pan and turn off the stove
• Wear clothes with short or close-fitting sleeves, when cooking
• If you leave the kitchen while cooking, turn off the stove

In the Living Room

• Use electrical outlets whenever possible, not extension cords
• Extension cords should be used on a temporary basis and must be UL approved
• Use furniture with sturdy legs
• Keep the floor clear of obstacles, so trips and falls are avoided

In the Bedroom

• Keep floor uncluttered to prevent trips and falls
• Keep house keys, eyeglasses, a flashlight and a telephone next to your bed

Concerns for Seniors with Disabilities

Some of the alternative emergency recommendations for seniors with disabilities include:

• If a persons clothes catch on fire and the person is unable to "stop, drop and roll" to smother the flames, he or she can use a blanket, rug, towel, etc. to smother the flames
• In case of a fire not in the disabled persons apartment or in the nearby vicinity, or if the persons mobility is impaired and are unable to exit, the suggestion is to signal from a window by hanging a towel, sheet or rug near the window or shine a flashlight at the window
• If the person is able, put a rug, towel, sheet or blanket at the bottom of the door to help keep out the smoke