October 9 is officially Fire Prevention Day. On or around this date is the perfect time to take a look at what types of fire prevention procedures and equipment are in place for your aging adult. If anything is incomplete or needs replacing, now is definitely the time.<\/p>\n
Check Smoke Alarms<\/strong><\/p>\n Smoke alarms are one of the easiest and least expensive fire prevention tools you can add to your aging family member\u2019s home. Ideally, there should be one in ever bedroom and at least one on every floor of the house. Test each smoke alarm once a month and switch out the batteries once every three months. When you get in the habit of this, it\u2019s second nature to keep smoke alarms in good working order.<\/p>\n Add Features to Smoke Alarms<\/strong><\/p>\n If your elderly family member is hard of hearing, there are smoke alarms that use bright strobe lights as well as an alarm that can alert her. Another feature you might want to consider adding is called a bed shaker. This is a device that slides between the mattress and the box spring and vibrates the bed when the smoke alarm goes off.<\/p>\n