{"id":5605,"date":"2022-12-16T18:42:30","date_gmt":"2022-12-16T18:42:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.comfortkeepers.ca\/calgary\/?p=5605"},"modified":"2026-05-06T18:34:02","modified_gmt":"2026-05-06T18:34:02","slug":"fire-safety-and-prevention-tips-for-seniors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.comfortkeepers.ca\/calgary\/blog\/fire-safety-and-prevention-tips-for-seniors\/","title":{"rendered":"Fire Safety and Prevention Tips for Seniors in Calgary, AB"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Candles<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Fire Safety and Prevention Tips for Seniors<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Fire Safety and Prevention Tips for Seniors<\/strong> | According to the NFPA (National Fire Protection Association), the leading cause of fire deaths in the home for adults 65 years of age and older is smoking. The second leading cause is heating equipment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where There\u2019s Smoke: Elder Fire Safety<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Fire is considered one of the most powerful forces known to man. Our early ancestors relied on it for warmth and protection \u2013 and in modern times, we utilize it (cautiously) in certain ecological management efforts. Powerful though it may be, fire is wholly volatile and demands our utmost respect. There\u2019s no denying its potential for destruction. Consider, for instance, the thousands of wildfires that occur in the United States each year, often leaving behind nothing but a trail of devastation. House fires also number in the thousands annually. And while fire undoubtedly knows no bounds and can affect anyone, a certain age group tends to fall victim to fire more than any other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Data continually indicates that older adults (those 65 years of age and older) face a greater overall risk of dying in a fire. In fact, according to the U.S. Fire Administration, older adults made up approximately 14 percent of the total U.S. population in 2014, and yet they represented nearly 40 percent of all fire deaths. What\u2019s more, seniors are two and a half times more likely to die in a fire than those in other age groups. And what exactly accounts for these alarming statistics? As it turns out, there are quite a few.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Senior Fire Safety: Risk Factors<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

As we age, it\u2019s more common for our physical and mental abilities to decline. Naturally, this can have a direct effect on one\u2019s possibility of survival from a fire. For example, the limited mobility (or even range of motion) that a senior experiences can impede his or her ability to escape a house when it\u2019s aflame. But think of the senses we rely on each and every day (vision, hearing, smell, taste, touch), and how many of them play pivotal roles in alerting us when danger is close. It\u2019s easy to take these for granted when we\u2019re younger, but it can become increasingly difficult to depend on them to work at peak efficiency, once we\u2019re older.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reaction time is also a factor. Studies indicate that our physical response time can diminish with age, due to certain changes in the corpus callosum as well as other neural deficiencies. Some medications can also hinder a senior\u2019s ability to react quickly. Similarly, seniors can become drowsy or fall asleep altogether from specific medication, which makes them highly vulnerable to smoke inhalation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The factors above represent why older adults are more likely to be injured or die in a fire \u2013 but what causes these fires to occur? Not surprisingly, a majority result from accidents in the kitchen. If cooking food is left unattended, or if there\u2019s a buildup of grease, a fire can form within minutes. It\u2019s also quite common for fires to start because of problems with electrical distribution (overloaded outlets, faulty wiring, etc.), alternative heating sources, unattended candles, and smoking cigarettes in the home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With so many potential sources of danger in the home, many of which can be seemingly out of sight and out of mind, it\u2019s not unreasonable for a senior to feel like it\u2019s only a matter of time before a fire occurs. Fires aren\u2019t necessarily inevitable, but it also doesn\u2019t take much for them to start and spread. Fortunately, there are several steps older adults can take to not only alert them of when a fire occurs, but also reduce the risk of fire formation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Senior Fire Safety\/Risk Reduction Tips<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n