Ensuring Your Parent Heats Their Home Safely

Home Care Services Chicago IL
 
The cold winter weather is on its way and in some places people are getting their first tastes of the chill. This means that your elderly parent might be looking for ways to keep their home warmer and more comfortable as the temperature drops. While it is important that your parent stays warm during the cold season, it is also important to recognize the potential risks that heating the home can pose. Certain habits can put your aging parent in serious danger.

More than half of the residential fires associated with heating equipment that occur throughout the United States occur during the December, January, and February. Recognizing that heating is one of the leading causes of residential fires makes it essential that you go over safe heating methods with them so that you can feel confident they will not experience these dangerous issues.  
 
Use these tips to help ensure that your aging parent heats their home safely: 

• All equipment is a risk. While many people immediately think of temporary heating equipment such as space heaters when it comes to the potential risk for fires, it is important to recognize that any equipment that produces heat can be dangerous. Understanding this can help you and your parent take the proper steps to reduce the risk no matter what heating method your parent chooses. 

​• Create an open space. Make sure that nothing flammable is within a three-foot radius of any equipment that produces heat. This includes paper, clothing, drapes, furniture, and other loose items. 

• Never use the oven. Everyone who had tried to bake during the summer knows that the oven can heat up the house quickly, but your parent should never use the oven as a form of heating. This can pose dangers both in terms of fire risk and carbon monoxide poisoning if they have a gas oven. 

• Use the proper fuel. If your parent chooses to use a heater that uses fuel, make sure that they use only the fuel recommended by the manufacturer. Using the wrong fuel can cause the heater to malfunction, putting them at risk of fire and possibly dangerous emissions such as carbon monoxide.  
 
If you want to make sure that your aging parent stays comfortable, healthy, and safe throughout their later years, one of the best decisions that you can make for them is to start home care services. Having an in-home senior care services provider in the home with them is a fantastic way to encourage them to stay active, engaged, and independent as they age while still knowing that they are safe, secure, and healthy.

​When it comes to helping your parent avoid potentially devastating consequences of issues such as fires or carbon monoxide poisoning, this home care services provider can help your parent to make good decisions regarding their heating needs, guide them in alternative ways to stay warm and comfortable, such as covering up with a blanket, and alert you to any issues with the home that you may need to resolve in order to help your parent through the cold weather season safely and healthily.  
 
Source:http://www.nfpa.org/public-education/by-topic/top-causes-of-fire/heating/heating-safety-tips  

If you or an aging loved one are considering Home Care Services Chicago IL, contact the caring staff at Gentle Home Services. Call today (800) 860-9823.

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