Fire safety for an older relative

People 65 and over are more likely to die in a fire. In 2020, their risk of dying in a fire was 2.5 times that of the U.S. population as a whole. Physical or mental impairments, medicines and alcohol, living with smokers, and substandard housing all add to the risk. Residents can have less than 2 minutes to get out once a smoke alarm sounds, so the plan and the alarms have to be ready before a fire starts.

Smoke alarms

• Check the alarms for a relative who can't do it themselvesPress the test button on each alarm once a month.
• Make sure there's an alarm in every bedroom, outside each sleeping area and on every levelThat includes the basement. Interconnected alarms all sound when one does.
• Check each alarm's ageA smoke alarm is replaced 10 years from the date it was made. Batteries in a 9-volt alarm, and backup batteries in a hardwired one, are replaced at least once a year.
• Check that your relative can hear the alarmAlarms for people with hearing loss use a different sound, strobe lights or a bed shaker.

Some fire departments install battery-operated smoke alarms free of charge. Call your relative's local fire department on its nonemergency number to ask. Hardwired alarms are installed by a qualified electrician.

Getting out

• Know two ways out of every roomWalk both of them with your relative.
• Clear anything that blocks the way out of each room and the home
• Check the doorways with a walker or wheelchairMake sure your relative can get through every exit.
• Keep glasses, keys, hearing aids and a phone next to the bed
• Practice the escape drill twice a year
• Talk the plan through with family and neighborsIf your relative needs extra help getting out, talk it through with the building manager or the fire department too.

Cooking

• Use a timer as a reminder that something's cooking
• Stay in the kitchen while the burner is onTurn it off when leaving the kitchen.
• Keep a pan lid or baking sheet nearbySliding it over a pan that catches fire puts the fire out.
• Turn pot handles toward the back of the stove

Smoking and medical oxygen

• Never smoke around medical oxygenOxygen can explode if a flame or spark is nearby, and can catch fire even when it's turned off.
• Smoke outside, never in bedMattresses and bedding catch fire easily.
• Don't smoke after taking medicine that causes drowsiness
• Use an ashtray with a wide base, or a bucket of sandWet the ashes and butts before they go in the trash.

For the full household plan, see How to make a home fire escape plan and practice it.