Household Dangers Are The Leading Cause of Burns In The Elderly.

(Courtesy of Advances for Nurses at http://www.advancefornurses.com.)

A study of elderly burn victims in the Journal of Burn Care and Rehabilitation observed that 70 percent of the burn victims surveyed were burned in their homes ("A Survey of Risk Factors for Burns in the Elderly and Prevention Strategies," 2002).

The U.S. Fire Administration's National Fire Incident Reporting System observed that the leading causes of fire injury in the elderly were cooking, smoking and heating-related. The leading causes of death were the same, though in different order: smoking, heating and cooking-related.

Physical and cognitive deficits that frequently accompany the aging process increase the risk for fire injury. Motor or balance problems, for example, can slow a person's escape from a fire. Vision and hearing deficits reduce an person's ability to detect common signs of fire or hear smoke detectors.

Reduced touch sensation and slow response time can diminish an older adult's ability to sense a burn when it happens. Older adults often sustain scald burns from tap water due to prolonged exposure to water that is too hot. An elderly person with cognitive deficits may forget to turn off the stove or heating appliance, may leave food cooking and wander away, and is often less aware of safety hazards that can increase burn risk.

Another factor contributing to the severity of the injury and its ability to heal is the long waiting period before many older adults with burn injuries seek treatment.

Treatment Problems:

Often, factors related to aging can complicate the rehabilitation process. Skin degradation, for example, can slow healing and limit achievable range of motion. Their skin often can't take the tension of stretching.

Another major concern during treatment is whether the patient has any memory and recognition problems. Cognitive issues can make treating elderly burn patients more difficult. "Elderly patients may have more issues with memory, maybe early onset of dementia, or a lesser awareness of safety, which may have contributed to their burns."

Memory problems also can be an obstacle to follow-through on prescribed exercises. It is important that patients are able to follow the program and can repeat instructions. Often, experts say a burn patient may have shown signs of cognitive decline, but the family doesn't address it until it results in a dropped cigarette or a burner left on.

Other problems such as congestive heart failure may limit health care workers' ability to administer fluid to the patient. Overall, it often takes roughly two to three weeks longer to return an elderly patient to recovery.

Prevention:

Because a significant percentage of burns among the elderly population happen in the home, modifying the home environment to reduce burn risk is a major concern.

Many hosptials perform a safety check with each patient prior to discharge. This includes working in the hospital's kitchen to talk about hazards and try out modifications. They prefer to do the safety check just prior to discharge because the emotional and physical trauma of the burn have subsided. The patient can be more receptive to suggestions and precautions, and the information will be fresh in his mind when he returns home.

Unfortunately, older adults can be reluctant to make changes in the way they do things. Most older adults have a routine in their own environment, and they don't want to change that.

Prevention is the key. Make an escape plan. Check smoke alarms. Keep a fire extinguisher in the house. If you love your family, you'll do this for them.