The Effect of a Home Fire Safety Program on Fire Safety Knowledge and Behavior of Community-Dwelling Older Adults and their Family Caregivers

Abstract

Background: Older adults are at higher risk for fire-related injuries and deaths than younger people due to their impaired physical and sensory functions. A fire safety programs should be developed for older adults and their family caregivers to prevent fire-related accidents. Aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of a home fire safety program on fire safety knowledge and behavior of community-dwelling older adults and their family caregivers. Design: A quasi-experimental research design was used (one-group pretest-posttest). Setting: The study was conducted in five community clubs for community-dwelling older adults in Alexandria namely; El-Saada, El-Hanan, El-Wafaa, El-Hayia Wl-Amal, and El-Wedad clubs. Subjects Purposive sample was composed of two subjects; older adults and their family caregivers were selected based on specific criteria. Results: There was a statistically significant effect of home fire safety program on the level of knowledge of both older adults and their family (P = 0.001). Also, there were a significant effect of the program on the reported home fire safety behavior for older adults and their family caregivers (P = 0.0001). Conclusion: There were improvements in home fire safety knowledge and behavior of the community-dwelling older adults and their family caregivers after the application of a home fire safety program. Recommendations: Home fire safety programs should be disseminated to the older adults and their family caregivers in various settings. Encouraging the involvement of home fire safety programs in the mandatory fire safety curriculum in the educational system.