Nearly 60 carers took part in the half-day workshops run by the East Sussex fire and rescue service. More than 85 care workers from the voluntary and independent sectors took part in a second wave of training.
"Training carers to look out for fire risks is a valuable safeguard which could save lives,” said Councillor Joy Waite, the lead member for health and social services. "By looking out for potential hazards and doing risk assessments, carers can make pensioners safer at home.”
Five people over 60 died and 31 pensioners were injured in house fires in the county last year.
The workshops covered issues such as testing and positioning of smoke alarms, common causes of fires, including faulty wiring and appliances, smoking and candles, and the risks of overloading sockets.
They also had to consider wider implications such as whether house keys are easy to get hold of if the person needs to escape in a hurry.
The aim of the workshops was to raise awareness so that carers could go into an older person’s home and identify potential problems. They were also given an 87 page booklet as a handy reference guide.
Carers praised the course and one said: "It reminded me about the small things that can cause fires, which you often put to the back of your mind.”
Others said they felt more confident about spotting hazards in their own or a service user’s home after the course, and that they would now pass on information to clients and the volunteers who work with them.
Reference:
05/031/SR
Contact the press team
