Whether you own your own home or rent a condo or apartment, a smoke alarm is not only necessary, it’s required by law. For seniors in particular, keeping smoke alarms in good working order requires a checkup every few months.
Many senior citizens are unable to afford or maintain their smoke alarms. Most seniors at risk are those with cognitive issues such as Alzheimer’s. Medications can make older adults sleepy and slower to respond. Many seniors also have hearing issues and some are wheelchair bound. Whether it be due to physical disabilities, financial hardship or even the inability to reach the smoke alarm, smoke alarm programs have sprung up in many communities.
Safety Tips:
- Smoke alarms need to be installed on each floor of your living space and one should also be outside of each sleeping area.
- For those with gas heat a carbon monoxide detector also needs to be installed.
- Smoke detectors can be run by batteries or can be directly wired into the home. At least twice a year all alarms and detectors should be checked to ensure they are working properly. Those that take batteries should have the batteries replaced with new ones at the same time.
The free services offered by many fire departments ensure that each senior will have alarms in their homes and that they will be in good working order at all times.Having firefighters helping out the seniors is a real benefit to these communities. Seniors will no longer be as vulnerable in their own homes. For more information on smoke alarm programs, read the story of one community and how their program works.
