Fire safety visits offered to people with dementia

Home safety visits will be offered to people living with dementia, a fire service has announced.

Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service (NFRS) said it was supporting Dementia Action Week by encouraging people to sign up for the visits, which are free of charge.

NFRS said practical fire safety steps for those living with dementia can include shut-off devices to stop gas supply if a cooker is left on, or a gas tap, which can be turned off to prevent unsupervised cooking.

Tina Collett, from NFRS, said the visits "can address some of the fire risk challenges people with this diagnosis face in their everyday life".

She said: "Our staff offer friendly advice to address issues and can also fit free smoke alarms for vulnerable people.

"It is very easy to request a visit, and this can be done by the person who needs the home fire safety visit, or the referral can come from someone else, such as a friend, relative or carer."

The fire service said that the symptoms of dementia, such as memory problems, can make everyday fire risks around the home harder to deal with.

It added that the free visits will also offer personalised advice to help keeping safe at home.

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