Home Safety Guidelines

FIRE RESPONSE:

Call 911 or emergency number for your area.
Use smoke detectors near all bedrooms and on every floor of your home.
Keep fire extinguishers in the home, especially in high risk areas such as kitchen.
Plan a place to meet outside the home if you have to evacuate for a fire.
Plan at least 2 exit paths from each room of your home in case of a fire.
Heat your home safely. Keep portable heaters at least 3 feet away from people and objects.
Install carbon monoxide detector for extra protection.
Never smoke in bed.

EMERGENCY RESPONSE:

What is your fire plan? Where will you exit? Where will you meet?
Where will you take cover if a tornado warning occurs?
Keep emergency telephone numbers for fire, ambulance, and police close to or on each phone.

ELECTRICAL SAFETY:

Check electrical cords for wear. Discard all cords that are frayed or have exposed wires.
Ground all 3-pronged plug adapters.

OXYGEN USE:

Place “No Smoking” sign on all entrances to your home. The company that provides your oxygen can provide you with these signs.
Do NOT use more than 50 feet of tubing between the oxygen source and the patient.
Do NOT place oxygen tanks within 1.5 feet of windows, doors or other items.
Do NOT allow open flames such as pilot lights or gas stoves or water heaters within 12 feet of any oxygen equipment or tubing.
Place the telephone number of your electric company on or at every telephone. Call them immediately if you experience a power outage.

MEDICATION:

Store all medications out of the reach of children.
Secure the caps on medication bottles.
Store syringes behind a closed door and do not talk to others about the fact that you have syringes in your home.
Never expose medications, in or out of bottles, to sunlight.
Set a med planner to organize medicines and to indicate when they should be taken.

INFECTION PREVENTION:

Stillwater Medical Home Health