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Fire Safety Programs for the Nursing Home

According to the National Fire Protection Association, "At age 65, older adults are twice as likely to be killed or injured by fires or falls compared to the population at large. Thirty percent of people age 65 and older are involved in falls each year, the leading cause of death from unintentional injury in the home." As such it's very important that nursing homes, which have a large population of seniors present, have fire safety programs that teaches residents what to do in case of a fire, and how to prevent as many fire risks as possible.

  1. Employee Fire Safety Education

    • One important part of any fire safety program is to make sure that the staff of a nursing home is aware of what fire safety procedures are, and how to execute them. Show both residents and staff where the exits are in case of fire and which routes to take to reach them. Show staff where the fire extinguishers are, and certify them in the use of these items. This certification involves not only knowing how to operate the extinguisher, but knowing which kind are appropriate for which sort of fire.

    Fall Prevention

    • Teaching seniors how to prevent falls during a fire is very important. If a senior falls while attempting to evacuate the building, they could become prone and helpless, unable to get away from the smoke and flames. Residents of a nursing home should be taught how to avoid slips and falls in case of an emergency, and fire drills should be a semi-regular event so the seniors can practice proper procedure for evacuating without injuring themselves. This experience will end up being very important if there is an actual fire.

    Kitchen Fire Safety

    • In nursing homes where residents have access to a kitchen, teach seniors basic kitchen safety and fire prevention. Seniors should demonstrate that they know how to operate the kitchen equipment, such as the oven and stove, and that they can cook safely. Seniors should also show that they know which method of fire prevention to use in the kitchen, such as smothering for grease fires, water for trash fires, or a chemical extinguisher for an electrical fire.

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