People with disabilities find it hard to move freely. There is a decrease in mobility which is why they may not be able to move as much as they want to. It is even more difficult if the person with disability is a senior citizen.

Due to his disability, the elderly will not be able to take an immediate action to respond to a certain emergency such as a fire. As a result, he may suffer from injuries or even lose his life. To avoid these negative scenarios, here are things that we at Aztek Nursing Registry, Inc. recommend that you do in order to ensure the safety of your own elderly with disability in case a fire takes place in the house.

Teach him how to use the fire extinguisher.

You should teach him the basic steps on how to use a fire extinguisher. This way, he may have a chance to put out the fire while it is still small and manageable. You might want to attach a small fire extinguisher to his wheelchair or to an easily accessible location for emergencies.

Check all possible exits.

In most cases, traditional emergency exits may not be viable options for the elderly if he is already in a wheelchair or using a cane or a walker. For this matter, you, as a family member and a caregiver, should look out for all possible emergency exits that the elderly can alternatively use. These alternative routes should be capable of accommodating wheelchairs, canes, and walkers.

There might be a need for you to install ramps on these exits. You may also need to install flooring materials which are suitable for canes and walkers. These items can facilitate an escape from any emergency that might take place aside from a fire.

Keep an emergency phone accessible and ready.

You must keep an emergency phone at the bedside table of the elderly. This way, he can easily grab the phone and call someone for help in case he gets trapped inside his bedroom during an emergency. It will also be good for you to set certain emergency numbers on speed dial so that the elderly will not have to get his eyeglasses and search his contacts for the right numbers.

Fireproof the room to prevent fires.

Most importantly, you need to fireproof the room or house before any fire takes place. As they say, prevention is always better than cure. You can set up fire protection devices like fire-safe compartment walls, sprinklers, and even flame-resistant blankets.

Your disabled elderly should not be alone. The disability care service from a health care center in Miami FL like us can help take care of him.