Residential care homes ‘routinely’ breaching fire regulations 07 July
2011   
Care homes are routinely breaching fire safety legislation and putting
thousands of elderly and disabled residents at risk, says a report in the
Guardian.  135 care homes were the subject of enforcement action by fire and rescue  services between January 2010 and March 2011, according to responses to freedom  of information requests from 37 out of 46 fire services in England.
 Hazards included inadequate alarms, blocked escape routes, damaged and
dangerous equipment and untrained staff.  About 90% of the homes concerned are privately owned, the vast majority by  small, one-home operators, says the article.  Residential care homes are increasingly under financial pressure as a result  of the squeeze by local authorities on the fees they pay them.

Responding to the news, a spokesperson for the Alzheimer’s Society said older
people, especially those with dementia, need more time to understand what is
happening around them and to negotiate fire exits.  One manager, who took charge of a care home after it had been issued with an enforcement notice, told the newspaper that staff often do not understand the  risks involved:

"When I first took over the home, there were no risk assessments or training
in fire safety. Staff and residents often have no idea what to do in the event
of the alarm sounding and stand there looking at one another. Many aren't able
to detect from the fire alarm panel whereabouts in the building the fire is
located."


In March this year, additional guidance for
operators of residential care premises was published to enhance existing
government guidance. In April, a fatal accident enquiry in Scotland concluded
that some or all of the deaths of 14 residents at the Rosepark care home fire
in 2004 were avoidable.