Fire Safety for Older Adults

/by American Alarm Blogging Team

Fire Safety for Older AdultsAn elderly couple in Methuen, Mass. died after a two-alarm blaze swept through their ranch-style home at the end of February, according to Boston.com.

The fire broke out about 3 a.m. on February 26, quickly engulfing the single-family structure. The man and woman were found in separate parts of the home after the fire had been extinguished, according to State Fire Marshal Stephen Coan.

Coan told the newspaper that since January 1st, 11 people had died in fires in Massachusetts – five of the victims had been elderly.

Additionally in February, a couple in their 80s died in a house fire in Concord, Mass., and a 90-year-old South Boston man died from injuries he suffered in a fire in his apartment.

“This has been a difficult year,” Coan told Boston.com. “The elderly population has been vulnerable in these fires.”

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Attleboro Police Warn Seniors of Telephone Scam

/by American Alarm Blogging Team

Senior Telephone ScamThe Baby Boomers are getting older, and the ‘Silver Tsunami’ will soon be extending its demographic might into the senior bracket. With Americans living longer and more productive lives, there are a number of social questions that will have to be answered over the course of the next few years — not the least of which being how to keep our elders safe and secure throughout retirement.

Much of the focus when it comes to seniors and safety has to do with their health, such as preventing falls, or making it easy to access medical care in an emergency situation with a medical alert system. The financial health of the older population, however, is just as at risk, due to a new generation of scammers who target elders.

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Home Security Needs Change as Your Life Changes

/3 Comments/by American Alarm Blogging Team

If you’ve had a recent life-changing event like getting married, having a new baby, buying a new home, or maybe starting a home-based business, your life and your priorities have changed – and so have your home security needs.

When it comes to security and electronically protecting your family from harm, crime is not the only thing you need to worry about.  Fire and even carbon monoxide poisoning are also concerns. If you have aging parents who may have moved into your home, they too, have special security needs. You need to think of home security as a continuum, and work with an alarm monitoring company that understands that your needs change as your life changes.

Many homeowners wait to think about buying an alarm system after they’ve been the victim of crime. Wouldn’t it be better to have that piece of mind before an incident occurs? That’s why security professionals agree that home security should be a proactive and not a reactive process.

Here are four very good reasons to consider installing a home security system, no matter what stage of life you’re in: Read more →

Safety And Security Systems For Aging Parents, Not As Challenging As You may Think

/by American Alarm Blogging Team

aging-parents-home-securityThis year we’ve seen the first wave of what has been dubbed the “Silver Tsunami” as the first of 78 million “Baby Boomers” reached retirement age. The number of people over 65 in America will more than double over the next few decades, making up 20% of the total US population by 2050. According to the NPR News Series Aging at Home, a vast majority of those seniors will chose to remain in their own homes when they retire.

Current life expectancy in the US is 77.9 years. With people living longer on average, aging at home can present several challenges that can be worrisome to children whose elderly parents opt out of long-term care facilities. Are they taking all their medications properly? Are they safe and secure from accidents and crime? What if they need help in an emergency? A wealth of home security products has been developed that is answering those questions, allowing seniors to age at home, and bringing peace of mind to their families. Laurie Orlov, founder of Florida-based Aging in Place Technology Watch has said that, “Livability can be extended through the incorporation of telecare and other assistive technologies that are geared toward keeping seniors safe and easing the burden on their caregivers.” Read more →