Posted: 11/29/2017
Parkland experts offer tips for seniors to stay safe
The older we get, the harder it becomes for the body to bounce back from a burn injury. Even a relatively small burn injury can be life threatening to an older adult, according to practitioners at Parkland Health & Hospital System’s Regional Burn Center.
Twenty percent of older adults requiring hospitalization in the burn center have been burned by hot coffee, hot grease, hot soup or boiling water, according to Stephanie Campbell, RN, Parkland’s Burn Program Manager. With frost on the pumpkin and temperatures chilling the bones, fall and winter can be especially dangerous for older adults attempting to warm up.
“Older adults, especially those taking medications, can sometimes experience shaking, dizziness, or sleepiness and this can increase the risk of spilling hot liquids while cooking. Older skin is also thinner and more likely to burn deeper and faster,” Campbell said.
The American Burn Association (ABA) reports that adults ages 65 and older are twice as likely to die in home fires, and adults 85 years and older are four times more likely to die from a burn injury. For those older adults who spend time in the kitchen, the ABA recommends:
• Use oven mitts, not towels, to handle hot pots and pans
• Turn handles so they do not hang over the edge of the stove
• Use caution when cooking with grease – keep burner on a low to medium setting and keep a pan lid in reach
• Make sure smoke alarms are in place on each level of your home and replace batteries every six months
• Have an escape plan if fire breaks out in the home – “two ways out” should always be available.
Pre-existing medical problems, which tend to accumulate as a person ages, can also complicate how the body responds to a burn injury and the necessary treatment, Campbell noted. Third degree injuries require skin grafting, where an experienced burn surgeon removes dead tissue and replaces it with skin taken from a non-burned area. Since the skin of older adults can be more fragile, the skin grafts may not heal as well as those of a younger person. Inhalation injuries in older adults are also very serious, since the lungs may have a harder time healing from the effects of breathing in toxic smoke.
“The majority of older adults we admit at Parkland have suffered a scald injury, been involved in a house fire, or have been injured while smoking cigarettes on home oxygen,” Campbell said.
Smoking while using home medical oxygen is extremely dangerous and is the leading cause of fires, injuries and deaths related to medical oxygen. Fire needs oxygen to burn, so flames will spread quickly in places with high amounts of oxygen, according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). More oxygen in the air means that things such as hair, plastic, skin oils, clothing and furniture can catch fire at lower temperatures.
People using oxygen should never smoke or allow others to smoke near them. Oxygen cylinders should be kept at least five feet from all open flames and other possible ignition sources such as wood stoves, heat sources and electrical devices, the NFPA cautions.
“Each year about 15 percent of patients age 65 or older admitted to the burn center have sustained injuries from smoking while using home oxygen,” Campbell said. “Most of the injuries involve burns to the face, neck, and upper body. Sometimes the clothing ignites and causes a burn injury to a large portion of their body, requiring mechanical ventilation, skin grafting, and long-term rehabilitation.”
The bottom line, the NFPA states, is that there is no safe way to smoke in the home when oxygen is in use. Candles, matches, wood stoves and even sparking toys, can be ignition sources and should not be used in the home.
In addition to the potential hazards with oxygen, houses today are built with modern materials resulting in fires that spread faster than ever before, Campbell noted, adding that there may only be one to two minutes to escape.
“Older adults may not see, hear, or smell the fire as quickly as someone who is younger, and those with decreased mobility may have trouble escaping quickly,” she said.
“One thing you can do right now to help protect the older adults in your life is to check and make sure they have working smoke alarms,” said Shelli Stephens-Stidham, Director of the Injury Prevention Center of Greater Dallas located at Parkland. “Stop by your parents and grandparents home and take a look. Do they have a smoke alarm in every bedroom? Outside of every sleeping space? On every level of the home? Do they sound when tested?”
If an older adult has trouble hearing, Stephens-Stidham suggested purchasing smoke alarms with strobe lights or even bed shakers. There are also two kinds of smoke alarms: ionization smoke alarms are better at detecting flaming fires while photoelectric alarms can better pick up smoldering fires. It is ideal to have both types of alarms present in the home.
“Burn injuries in older adults can be very serious but they are preventable,” Campbell said. “Talk to your loved ones about their fire escape plan, and teach them to use caution around hot liquids and home medical oxygen.”
For more information about Parkland, please visit www.parklandhospital.com