Tips For Senior Fire Safety

According to the United States Fire Administration, seniors (age 65+) are the highest fire risk group the US.  Approximately 1,200 seniors die as a result of fires and 3,000 seniors are injured in residential fires each year.  Why is this?
Seniors in the early stages of retirement, due to their good health and independence, continue routines and activities that eventually can become life threatening (particularly smoking).  Often fire safety needs are overlooked.  Smoking is the primary cause of senior residential fire deaths. This is followed by common place activities like cooking (second) and home heating (third).  The senior living environment also adds to fire risk since many seniors live in older homes that have not been renovated or lack maintenance to accommodate the electrical demands of new appliances or lifestyle changes.
Why are seniors more vulnerable to fire and injury?  Some of the reasons are:

• Seniors live alone without the help of others in an emergency
• Seniors are on medication that affects quick decision making
• Seniors cognitive as well as physical mobility reduces taking fast action
• Seniors live in older housing with faulty wiring
• Seniors use of alternative heating such as space heaters and wood stoves
• Seniors careless smoking (especially around oxygen sources)
• Seniors leave cooking unattended
• Seniors have thinner, more delicate skin than younger adults
• Seniors lack practice and keeping escape routes clear
• Seniors return to an active fire to collect valuables
• Seniors lack or improper maintenance of smoke detectors
• Seniors lack proper first aid
• Seniors lack of sprinklers in residences

However, there are a number of precautionary steps seniors can take to dramatically reduce their chances of becoming a fire casualty.  This all begins with PREPARATION.

	Cooking Safety – Most home fires start in the kitchen.  These fires generally occur when cooking is left unattended on the stove or in the oven.  If you must leave the kitchen while cooking, turn off the stove or oven.  Otherwise take a spoon or potholder to remind you to return to the kitchen quickly.   Avoid cooking with loose clothing and dangling sleeves that can easily catch fire.  Take extra care when cooking with oils and frying since they can easily ignite.  Have a pan lid available in case of a grease fire and don´t use water to try and kill the flame.  For additional discussion, Read More..
	Smoke Detectors – Where there is smoke, there is fire and the majority of fatal fires occur when people are sleeping,  Because smoke can put you into a deeper sleep rather than waking you, it is important to have a smoke detector to ensure that you wake up.  Installing smoke detectors on each level of the home and sleeping areas will provide advance warning in case of a fire.  The smoke detectors should be checked monthly and the batteries replaced once a year.  If you own a home security system with fire protection, you should have it connected to your smoke detectors so that, in the event of a fire emergency, if you are not able to respond or are not at home, the alarm monitoring center will advise the fire department automatically.
	Alternate Heater Safety – Heating equipment pose a special fire risk.  They should be installed and maintained correctly.  (When in doubt about how to use, check the product label.)  Keep combustible materials (newspapers, bedding, clothing) a safe distance from a wood heater, hot water heater or space heater.  If it is electric, don´t place it in a bathroom or other wet area.  Since seniors often live in older homes with faulting wiring, older appliances and overloaded electrical sockets can cause fire hazards.
	Home Escape Plan – It is better to be prepared in case of a fire or natural disaster.  The USFA recommends developing and practicing home escape plans and planning them around individual capabilities.  You should have at least two exits from your home and should how to open your windows quickly.  For additional discussion, Read More.If possible, your bedroom should be on the first floor close to the main exit.  For seniors with reduced mobility or under medications, time for escape becomes precious.  It is more important to exit quickly rather than try to save possessions.  Practice your home escape plan.
	Smoking – According to the American Lung Association, approximately 10% of seniors (65+) currently smoke and thus are prone to an additional fire risk.  When smoking, you should only do while being alert. When drowsy you should extinguish smoking materials and soak the ashes in water before discarding them.  You should not leave smoking materials unattended, deep ashtrays should be used and emptied in a metal container or toilet.  Never smoke in bed.

Take steps now to keep yourself and older loved ones safe and avoid becoming a fire casualty.

For more information, please visit:  http://www.NexusHomeSecurity24.com/

Tips How To Burglar-Proof Home Windows

To help protect your family and home possessions, you may have invested in a Home Security System.  That is an investment that, with proper use, will provide you long term security and peace of mind.  Also, there are basic every day home security tips that you can do on your own with little investment other than your time.  However there is still more to be done to protect your home.
You are probably aware that the primary entry points of a burglar into a home are either there doors or windows.  Assuming that you have invested in solid doors, door frames and door locks, your home´s windows are the weak link and most overlooked risk of forced entry.  They can be broken, pried apart or literally removed from their support tracks.
Listed below are some tips to help burglar-proof your home´s windows.
1.         Reinforced Glass – The basic idea here is to strengthen your windows to make it more difficult for a burglar to break them.  One option, and least expensive is to use tempered glass, which is more durable and stronger than traditional window pane glass.  A more expensive option is to use laminated (safety) glass which consists of a layer of transparent vinyl between two sheets of regular window glass.  Laminate glass requires multiple blows in the same spot to break, resulting in more noise and effort for a potential burglar.  Other, more expensive options include wire mesh or shatter-resistant glass.
2.         Plexiglas and Polycarbonate Windows – Plexiglas (Acrylic) plastic windows are an economical alternative to traditional window glass and are roughly ten times stronger.  Polycarbonate windows are more expensive than Plexiglas, but ten times stronger and 250 times stronger than window glass.  Either solution makes a burglar entry much more difficult.
3.         Window Types and Securing
Casement windows are the most secure style since they are hinged on one side and open outward like a door using a crank gear system located from the inside.  Often the crank has provision for a key lock.  As long as the windows are closed and locked they are very difficult to open from the outside.  (In case of a fire emergency the crank key should be readily accessible and the same for all the windows.)
Vertical sliding windows, single or double hung are most popular in homes and consist of  a cam style lock that holds the top and bottom sash (the frame where the glass is mounted) together so that neither one can move. The cam lock is the primary weakness of this type of window since it can be opened with a knife from the outside when slipped between the two sashes.  To improve the security, a window pin type lock can be added to the top sash or an extendable small metal horizontal tab that restricts the movement of the bottom sash.  With the metal tab positioned in, the bottom sash freely moves, when positioned out, the bottom sash will not move and the window is closed.

       

Horizontal sliding windows move inside of a track, similar to patio doors by sliding one window panel to the left or right.  Depending upon the window design the security can be good or poor. If a poor design, the windows can be removed from the track from the outside.  Most designs provide a cam action lock similar to vertical sliding windows, with the same security weaknesses.  To improve the security, you can place a reinforced horizontal bar in the track that will prevent the sash from being moved when closed.  Additionally you can add a spring loaded burglar bar that fits between the window frame and the sliding sash to prevent prying movement side to side.  To prevent prying the moving sash out of the track, you can install metal screws on the top part of the frame such that they just touch the moving sash.
Other window openings if not need for ventilation or exit, should be sealed and nailed shut.  For windows with air conditioners, the unit should be bolted to the wall studs and the upper window sash should be pinned with a lock or blocked to prevent movement.
4.         Window Bars – Iron bars on the outside of your windows will make your home very burglar resistant.  It is expensive, but a permanent addition to the house.  While a burglar may break the window glass, the iron bars physically prevent entry.  Burglars will generally look for an easier target and not bother.  There a variety of decorative designs available depending upon the style of the house.
.
5.         Window Sensors – Depending upon your home security system, you will likely have Window Sensors to indicate when a window contact is open or closed.   Also there are window glass break sensors to indicate when a window has been broken.  Finally there are infrared motion detectors with optional video to signal an alert, sounding the alarm and automatically notifying the central monitoring center and authorities.

Window Sensors	Glass Break Detector	Infrared Motion Detector

Improving the security of your home windows will motivate the average burglar to look for a much easier target to deal with and will help you protect your loved ones and possessions.
For more information, please visit:  http://www.NexusHomeSecurity24.com/

Senior Lifestyle and Home Security

At any age, as you progress through life, your health, lifestyle and security needs change.  For seniors, whether living independently, with family or under supervised care, the quality of life reflects a variety of decisions they have made in the past (health, finance, family relationships, etc.) as well those in the future.   NEXUS Home Security suggests that you consider investing in a home security system to improve your personal safety and quality of life.  Your investment will provide you peace-of-mind, increased independence and confidence, while being easy-to-use, economical, reliable and fitting your life style.  Coupled with 24 hour monitoring response services for burglary, fire and medical emergency response, your home security system provides you with the flexibility to live life as you desire, wherever you happen to be.
If you live alone or do any type of traveling, then a home security system is a must as part of a personal safety plan.  You want to be able to access the home security system from wherever you are, at any moment in time.  With this in mind, it is time to get yourself a smart-phone if you don´t already have one.  Think of the smart-phone as a “personal safety control device”, rather than as a fancy telephone.  Why?  With your smart-phone you will be able to control your home security system with just the touch of a button, wherever you and your smart-phone happen to be at any moment.
Let´s use some examples of how you can control your home security system from your personal safety control device (smart-phone).  With the touch of a button you can:

• Turn on (arm) and turn off (disarm) your home security system
• Receive an alert text of a sensor being activated (door, window, cabinet)
• Receive a text alert of a fire/CO emission and monitoring response center
• Receive an alert text of a video motion sensor being activated
• Review video of what generated the alert text (pet, housekeeper)
• Review video from your security cameras in real-time
• Open and close the electronic door locks to let someone in
• Adjust the home electronic thermostat and lighting
• Send an emergency call to the monitoring response center
• Receive an alert text of a severe weather warning

Since your personal safety control device (smart-phone) goes wherever you go, you have control of your home security system while:

• in bed
• sitting in living room
• driving the car
• shopping at the supermarket
• waiting at the doctor´s office
• going for a bike ride
• relaxing on a vacation trip
• visiting the grandchildren
• doing whatever you want to do

Are you computer “challenged” and are wary of being able to control your home security system?  Don´t be.  If you can use a microwave to heat up a cup of coffee, you´re set.  Whether using the two-button central control panel or via the smart-phone, the security system is designed to be easy to use.  For the smart-phone you can have someone help you download the free application software from the Internet and give you a basic tutorial, which is primarily point and click the screen.
To complement the home security system is the medical alert component. The Senior Medical Alert System provides a water proof pendant that can be worn on the wrist or around the neck.  Any sort of medical emergency that might prevent you from getting to the central control panel or your smart-phone can still be handled by activating the pendant.  This results in the monitoring response center notifying emergency first responders.
For all of us, getting older is a part of life. And with age comes personal safety and security issues that affect that life.  NEXUS Home Security views this as a combination of prevention and response.  Your personal safety and quality of life will be enhanced if you take steps to prevent those safety threats that are preventable and invest in a home security system to enable rapid response when needed.  Use your years of acquired wisdom to be safe and secure in your home and wherever you happen to be.
For other senior safety and security related topics, please review other published articles in this forum.

For more information, please visit:  http://www.NexusHomeSecurity24.com/

Home Security And The Babysitter

Mom and Dad sometimes need their get-away time from the kids.  You can call it a mental rest break.  If there are young children, it implies that someone will need to supervise them while you are out.  Whether it’s a grandparent, in-law, adult neighbor or the teenage babysitter, if you have a home security system, the person left in charge will need to know how to operate it in your absence.  NEXUS Home Security offers some tips on how to make your night out a relaxing and pleasant time for both you and the babysitter.
Babysitter Guidelines – Before leaving to go out you will need to provide basic information to the babysitter to avoid “surprises”.  This should be well organized to handle most anything. This includes:

• A list of contacts and telephone numbers, including the doctor.
• A list of emergency service numbers:  police, fire, poison control.
• Location of the first aid kit with children´s allergies and medical information.
• Guidelines for children´s normal routine, bedtime, TV, etc.
• Basic guide on how to use the home security system:  arm/disarm, call for help, etc.
• Permission.  When in doubt, the babysitter should call you.

Home Alarm System Guidelines – For additional security of your children, your babysitter should know the basic operation of your home alarm system.  Depending upon the type and features of alarm system will determine the level of information provided.

• Know how to arm and disarm the home security system. If your home security system permits, assign an alternative (or temporary) rather than the master access code.   Explain and show how to enter the access code in the alarm system control panel.  Then have the babysitter arm and disarm the system to ensure that the procedure is understood.
• Explain the procedure to cancel an emergency request to the monitoring center in case the alarm system triggers by accident. This may include the need to respond to an identification “challenge” by the monitoring center personnel via telephone or the touch-screen control panel with intercom.
• In the event of smoke or CO detection, the alarm system will automatically advise the monitoring center of a potential emergency. The monitoring center will then attempt to contact the babysitter.  The babysitter will need to know how to respond to the contact.
• If the babysitter will be leaving the house with the children, there will be the need to arm the security system from outside. Normally this would be by simply pushing the on/off button of a remote keyfob device.  This can also be done with a smart-phone and software application, if the home alarm system offers this function.

Home Alarm Video Surveillance – If you have a wireless home security system with WiFi video cameras, then your alarm system will allow you to remotely view video images from your Internet enabled device (smart-phone, tablet or computer) whenever you desire.  If your alarm system includes motion detectors, you will be alerted when an event has occur allowing you to remotely access the system as well.  If your home security system includes intelligent access control devices (wireless door locks and lighting), you will receive an alert when a door has opened or closed that might require your attention.  Advising the babysitter that you can “visually check-in” remotely at any time should provide a higher level of security in case something unexpected happens.

For more information, please visit:  http://www.NexusHomeSecurity24.com/