The short-term effects of a fire safety education program for the elderly

The high risk of fire death and injury among elderly people is well documented. To be effective, fire safety education must reach older adults in the settings in which they reside: nursing homes and other long-term care institutions, board and care homes, and independent living facilities including the person's own home. Training must also be targeted at the people who are responsible for fire safety. In the case of the nursing home or board and care home, the responsible people are the staff and owners. In the case of the majority of older adults who live independently in their homes, it is either the individual or family members. These programs must also be comprehensive. A fire safety education curriculum was developed by a group of experts in a variety of related fields including fire safety, gerontology, health care industry, developmental disabilities, research, and instructional design. Older adults were included in each planning session. Based on that curriculum, workshops and workshop materials were developed for each of the three target populations: staff of health care facilities, staff and owners of board and care homes, and elderly people living independently in their homes. Materials included both print and audiovisuals. A pilot test of each workshop was conducted to test the short-term effects of the programs. Results indicated significant gains in knowledge for all groups and a significant improvement in positive attitudes toward fire safety for most participants. Measures of effects of the programs on intentions to change fire safety practices indicated a potential for change. Results also showed that the measured traits, knowledge of fire safety and attitudes toward fire safety, were relatively stable.