When we talk about summer, it automatically connotes hot weather and well, fires. If there’s one thing I fear, it’s fires, whether it is a natural occurrence or a product of human ignorance. Just the same, if you are a senior with very limited range of motion, you would want to avoid fires as much as possible too.
Seniors and children are at highest risk when it comes to fires and are most likely to die in an event of housefire according to National Fire Association. They blame it to mobility and bad decisions made during fires. I say most of the time it is the lack of education on what to do when there’s a fire or how to avoid it altogether. Below are some safety tips for seniors and caregivers alike:
•    Have a fire emergency plan. Remember all those fire drills during your school years? They were designed to be practiced every now and then just to refresh students’ memories and hone their instincts on how to react and where to run when the school is on fire. Your own fire emergency plan should be the same since knowing exactly what to do lessen the confusion and mistakes made if and when a fire happens.
•    Install smoke detectors and fire alarms, if you haven’t yet. Replace batteries when needed and clean if necessary, according to manufacturers’ recommendation of course. If you suspect that your system is malfunctioning, have someone take a look at it or better yet, call the manufacturer and report your observations.
•    Clear your fire exit. Pinpoint exactly where you plan to escape or your exit point/s. As soon as you are certain this is a good exit point, clear the way out by removing all the clutter that might hinder your way to the fire exit.
•    Move your room to the ground floor. You are safer if you are on the ground floor of your home since you won’t be needing the stairs anymore to get to the exit point. Better yet, choose a room that is nearest to your exit point. This way, even if you are roused by the fire, you can get out easily and promptly.
•    Ask to be inspected. Your local fire department can take requests for home inspection. This way, you will be able to get valuable tips on how to improve  your home for fire safety and if your fire safety plan is adequate.
•    Quit smoking. Careless smoking was found out to be the leading cause of house fires and unfortunately, death. If you care enough for your life and the others who live inside your house, quit now.