Equipment, aids and adaptations

This type of smoke detector has a vibrating pillow pad and flashing light to alert a user to the smoke alarm activating, if they cannot hear it. 

Read more about fire safety for people with hearing impairments (https://www.dsfire.gov.uk/safety/carers/fire-safety-people-hearing-difficulties).

These smoke detectors are wired or wirelessly interlinked so if one alarm activates, all alarms activate. These are suitable for all households, but are particularly recommended for:

• people who hoard, where the detector’s audible signal may be reduced, due to extensive clutter
• people with complex health needs, limited mobility and high fire risk
• complex buildings where there are long distances between detectors.

Telecare is a monitoring service that offers remote support to people who live alone in their own homes. The standard telecare that is usually provided includes an emergency alarm unit with red button pendant so that help can be requested from a monitoring centre.

We recommend that people who may not be able to respond to a smoke alarm, for example, due to mobility issues, memory loss or learning disability, have a monitored smoke detector fitted in their home linked to a telecare system. This ensures early detection of fire and gets help more quickly when a smoke alarm activates.

For more information on telecare in Devon please visit Devon County Council website (https://www.devon.gov.uk/adult-social-care/factsheet/telecare/how-do-i-get-telecare-equipment/).
For more information on telecare in Somerset please visit Somerset Lifeline (https://www.somersetlifeline.co.uk/).

This type of smoke detector emits a lower frequency sound than a standard smoke alarm. They are recommended for people with certain hearing impairments and those with drug and alcohol dependency.

Heat detectors activate when there is a change in temperature caused by a fire, unlike a standard smoke alarm which sounds when it detects smoke. 

Heat alarm are recommended for fitting in smoky or steamy rooms such as kitchens or bathrooms. 

Read more about fitting smoke alarms (https://www.dsfire.gov.uk/safety/home/smoke-alarms).

These items have an extra level of fire resistance so are suitable for those who are at risk of dropping lit cigarettes.

• Fire retardant bedding packs usually contain a duvet, pillow, duvet cover, pillowcase, and fitted sheet and are recommended for people who smoke in bed.
• Fire retardant throws, blankets and rugs are recommended for people who smoke in armchairs and sofas and are used to cover soft furnishings and carpets.
• Fire retardant smoking aprons cover the chest and knees to provide an extra layer of fire resistance. Smoking aprons are recommended for wheelchair users, when a throw wouldn’t be suitable.
• Fire retardant curtains are used in place of normal curtains, where an ashtray is regularly kept on a windowsill or where someone regularly leans out of the window to smoke. Recommended for those with slow or limited mobility who are still at risk after other adaptions have been provided.

Metal ashtrays which are deep and wide are best for smoking safely and should be regularly emptied.

Galvanised metal buckets are recommended where a person is a heavy smoker. The buckets should have either damp sand or water in the bottom for safely extinguishing large numbers of cigarettes. These still need to be emptied regularly but allow more time between emptying due to the size.

A smokers robot is an item which allows a cigarette to be attached to a small holder over the ashtray. The ashtray is fitted with a tube with a smoke nozzle. These are recommended for people with tremors or shaking hands, and reduce the risk of dropping cigarettes whilst still allowing the person to smoke.

A self-contained misting unit is a sprinkler system in one room of a building, for one person. Unlike traditional sprinklers, a mist sprinkler uses specialist mist nozzles powered by high pressure water mist systems. This delivery method fights fire effectively, but also provides reduced water damage in the property.

These systems are designed for people who spend most of their time confined to a specific area of their home and provide instant fire suppression where it’s needed.

Air fryers are a safer alternative to deep fat frying or cooking in the oven. They turn off when the cooking time is completed and use less oil. This can be helpful for people who use deep fat fryers or forget about cooking. Plenty of space should be left around the air fryer as it can get extremely hot.

Induction hobs and stovetops have a safety feature that automatically turns off the hob after a certain time if no pan is detected. This can be helpful for people who leave a stove on and forget to turn it off.

Mechanical or digital cooking timers help to remind occupants when food has finished cooking so that it is not left to burn.

Cooker suppression systems consist of a heat sensor that monitors the cooker, and a control unit that cuts the power if a dangerous situation occurs. They can also prevent the use of the cooker using a sensor. These are recommended for people who are likely to forget their cooking. These can be found by searching for a ‘stove guard’ at DIY shops and online.

Locking cooker valves are suitable for people who can no longer operate their gas cooker safely, such as people living with memory loss. They may be at risk of harming themselves and their home by leaving gas un-ignited or forgetting to turn the hob off. The valve is installed with a key to lock it, so that only the gas hob is isolated rather than the whole gas supply to the house.

Valves can be requested on the Wales and West Utilities website (https://www.wwutilities.co.uk/services/priority-customers/supporting-you/request-a-locking-cooker-valve/). You will need to provide the details of the property and a responsible keyholder’s details. This service is provided regardless of your gas supplier. You don’t need to change energy supplier or inform your supplier of the device.

Rundown timers switch off the mains power to an appliance after a preset period, usually 30 minutes, providing a safety feature should the appliance be accidentally left on. This could be used for an iron or hair straighteners for someone who forgets to turn the items off.

Thumb turn locks are recommended in properties where individuals do not have the manual dexterity to use keys easily. A thumb turn lock uses a key on the exterior side of the door, and a thumb turn on the interior side so you can lock and unlock it from the inside without the key. They offer increased safety should you need a quick exit from the building, such as in the case of a fire or other emergency, as you don’t need to locate the key first to unlock the door.

A key safe is a lockable box that holds a key. This means carers, family or emergency services can get into the home if the person can't get to the door. A key safe is fixed to an outdoor wall with a chosen code set to it. Some key safes are police-approved.

Electrical plug pulls provide additional grip on a plug which enables the user to grip more easily and reduces strain on their wrist. This is recommended for products that need to be fully unplugged from the wall to be fire safe, and for individuals who do not have the manual dexterity to grip a plug without this additional help.

Oil-filled radiators are portable electric heaters, that look like fitted wall radiators. Inside the heater, oil heats up and is pushed around the radiator’s ‘fins’. As the ‘fins’ get hotter, the surface temperature increases and heat is released out into the air.

Oil filled radiators don’t have exposed heating elements, so they’re relatively low risk in terms of igniting any items nearby. These are preferred over any other type of portable heater.