How do I Fireproof the Home of my Elderly Parents?

As my own parents get older, I worry more about how safe they are in their own home.  I wanted to help them with fire safety while keeping their independence.  It is not a simple process, but I can break it down in easy to follow steps. 

How do I fireproof the home of my elderly parents?

To prevent fires is different than to detect or escape fires.  When helping the elderly with fire safety and fireproofing their residence, you have to think about their abilities now, and ten years from now.  From auto-shutoff appliances to stovetop monitors, here is a step by step guide for elderly fire safety.

I could see that year after year, my elderly parents had decreased mobility, difficulty with sight, and hearing.  That means that they would need help in an emergency.  They were not quick on their feet, yet still wanted to be independent. 

Most “fire safety” advice out there is only focused on smoke alarms, exit plans, and fire extinguishers.  All these measures are great AFTER the fire has started.  I want to prevent the fire from starting.  

Two ways to look at the same fire statistics:

According to the U.S. Fire Administration, people over the age of 65 are twice as likely to suffer injuries or lose their lives in fires compared to the general population.  At ages 85 and over, seniors are 3.8 times more likely to die in a fire than the general population.

There are two ways to read that statistic:

1. The elderly are less likely to escape a fire due to age and mobility restrictions
2. The elderly are more likely to be victims of fire because they are more prone to start accidental fires due to mobility issues and forgetfulness.

Either way, if you have elderly parents or family members, you can help them set their home in a way to escape a fire, and more importantly, in a way to prevent a fire, to begin with.

Fire Prevention Tips and Measures for the Elderly:

Don’t think about smoke alarms -well, not yet.-  Relying on smoke alarms means that your first line of defense is AFTER a fire has already started.  Think about preventing the smoke from occurring in the first place.

Most fires start in the kitchen (think pots left on the stove), or the bedroom (a space heater too close to the drapes), or the laundry room (dryer trap full of lint.)  How can you prevent these fires? We put together a comprehensive checklist.  We are going to go through each room and make it safer. Then we are going to focus on space heaters, the kitchen (where most fires start), and lastly fireplaces.  Once you go through this checklist, I guarantee that you will feel like a SecureHomeHero; but before we start:

A small word about cost:

If you a regular follower of SecureHomeHero posts, you probably know that for every safety measure, we try to give free or very low-cost options.  However, when you become the eyes and ears of your beloved older family member, things tend to cost a bit more.  Remember, one small fire can cause several thousand in material damage and heavy psychological trauma.  It is worth your money to prevent fire and have peace of mind.

Fire Prevention Tips and Measures for the Elderly Checklist:

1. Room by Room (except the kitchen): 

The idea is to go into each room (other than the kitchen), and follow the daily routine of your elderly parents or relatives.  Think about the appliances they use frequently.  More specifically, focus on appliances that produce heat, or are used to heats things up.  These appliances use a lot of power and can be a fire hazard.  How can you make them safe?  In three steps:

a. Proper placement

b. Auto-shutoff features

c. Instant off features

Here are a few examples:

• Check the Iron and Ironing board that your elderly parents (or relatives) use. 
• Is the ironing board steady?  If it wobbles, replace it (that is proper placement).   
• Does the Iron have an auto-shutoff feature if left on for a while? If it does not, replace it with a safe Iron with both automatic shut off (that is Auto-shut off feature)
• Does it have an instant off feature if tipped? If it does not, replace it with a safe Iron with (that is an instant off feature)
• The same goes for the curling iron in the bathroom.  Does it have an auto-shutoff feature if left on for a while? If it does not, replace it with a safe one.
• Another alternative for devices is to get an automatic shutoff electric plug (like this Simple Touch Auto Shut-off plugs rated up to 1000 watts).  These are electric plugs that have a preset timer.  In other words, they provide power for 30 minutes and then shut off regardless if the appliance is on or not.  I suggest putting these in each outlet of the main bathroom.  That way, you do not have to worry about each hair dryer, curling iron and so on. 

2. Space heaters:

1. Space heaters deserve their own section because they are the cause of so many fires.  In general, the older you get, the more often you feel cold even when others are comfortable.  The solution is often a space heater, and thus, a higher risk of fire.  Here is a checklist to assure space heaters are used safely:

• Make sure space heaters are at least three feet (one meter) away from objects (such as drapes, blankets, sofas or clothing.)  
• Try to have a designated spot where the space heater always stays.  This makes it easier to control the surroundings.  If the space heater is moved and put in a different spot each day, you have to worry each day.
• If your elderly parents use a space heater in a couple of rooms, get one space heater for each room.  Keep each one in the designated spot. 
• Do not plug your space heater into an extension cord or power strip.  Plug them directly into the wall. 
• If you must use an extension cord to place the space heater in a safe spot, get an extension cord that is rated higher than the level of power draw of the space heater.  These are special extension cords and are more expensive.    
• Make sure the space heaters you have an auto-off function when tipped over or laid on their side. 

3. Stove-top & Kitchen Safety:

1. The U.S. Fire Administration estimates that about 164,500 residential cooking fires occur in the United States annually.  Cooking is the leading cause of home fires.  Here is your kitchen fire prevention checklist: 

• Walk through the kitchen and take note of any appliance that produces heat (think toaster, toaster oven, coffee maker…etc)
• Check the toaster oven; Is it placed away from wood cabinets and hand towels? If not move it to a safe spot. 
• Does it have an auto-shutoff feature if left on for too long? If it does not, replace it with a safe one, or get an auto-shutoff electric plug (like this Simple Touch Auto Shut-off plugs rated up to 1000 watts). 
• If your elderly parents boil water daily, consider getting them an electric pot.  This will cut down on the use of the stove, and most have an auto-shutoff function. 
• Lastly, let’s turn to the stove.  That is the main fire hazard.  I occasionally forget things on the stove as I dive into a Youtube video wormhole.  I assume that this will get worse as I age.  For peace of mind, and to prevent fires, the ideal solution is a bit pricey.  In my humble opinion, it is well worth it.  You need a device that would automatically shut off the stove (the source of heat and fire hazard) if it is left unattended.  Consider this:

iGuardStove automatically switches off the stove if you leave your cooking unattended for a predetermined amount of time.  It is a smart device that has an automatic shut-off system based on motion detection.  If you’re cooking and step out of range of the motion sensor for more than 5 minutes (or a time you determine), iGuardStove will sound a warning chime, and then it will put the stove into a standby (food will stop cooking).

You can also connect it to the home’s Wi-Fi network, so you get a notification on your phone when the stove shuts off even if you are hundreds of miles away (that is a good time to call Mom). 

Installation is straight forward for electric stoves, but you need an installer if you have a gas stove (there are models for each).

4. Fireplaces:

1. If there is no fireplace in the house, you can skip this section.

• Open fireplaces can be hazardous.  Make sure you provide a cover with a tempered glass door or an ember screen. 
• Just as with space-heaters, make sure the area around a fireplace (at least three feet –or one meter- in all directions) is clear with no firewood, fabric, or any flammable material. 
• Keep especial attention around the holiday season.  All holiday decorations should follow the same rule: at least three feet away.  Do not hang stockings on the mantle.

5. A word about smoking:

1. Smoking is a major fire hazard.  Sadly, besides quitting altogether or switching to e-cigarettes, there is not much you can do to prevent such risk. 

All the above items and checklists are part of a prevention mindset: we do not want a fire to start.  There is a full host of other measures that you should take for fire safety (after the fire starts, such as alarms, extinguishers, escape plans and much more).  There are countless online resources for fire safety; here are a few: