This post contains affiliate links.
Basic household chores can be challenging for elderly parents, even those without age-related diseases like Alzheimer’s or dementia. After all, forgetfulness is a part of the aging process. But what can you do if forgetfulness becomes dangerous, like forgetting to turn the stove off?
When an elderly parent leaves the stove on, you’ll want to discuss stove safety tips with them. You might also want to discuss moving into an assisted living facility, hiring at-home caregivers, or investing in devices that increase kitchen safety.
In this article, we’ll look at measures you can take if your elderly parent is in danger of leaving the kitchen stove on. The best solution for your elderly parents depends on your budget, living situation, and your parents’ health conditions.
Stove Safety Tips for the Elderly
Stovetops can quickly become fire hazards, especially when they rely on natural gas and flame. But even electric stovetops can be dangerous, as fats and oils can combust (ignite) when exposed to high-heat conditions.
If your elderly parents leave the stove on and forget to shut it off, you’ll want to sit them down and discuss a few helpful safety tips.
Some of the most practical stove safety tips for the elderly include:
- Avoid cooking oils
- Clear nearby spaces
- Use timers
- Install a smoke alarm
- Invest in a lightweight fire extinguisher
Don’t Use Cooking Oils
Using cooking oils to fry food can be dangerous, as these oils can “jump” out of pans and ignite nearby materials, like paper towels or oven mitts. Cooking oil can also burst into flame if it lands on a hot burner.
If your elderly loved one enjoys frying foods with cooking oils, discuss switching to oil-free frying methods. For example, air fryers are excellent ways to fry foods without using potentially dangerous cooking oils. It’s also a healthier alternative to deep frying.
Clear Nearby Surfaces
Ensure that your elderly parents keep flammable objects, such as oven mitts, paper towels, wooden utensils, and cooking oils, away from stovetops surfaces, even when those surfaces aren’t active.
Doing so can help ensure that these items don’t accidentally catch flame when the stove is in use.
Use Loud Kitchen Timers
Portable kitchen timers can help elderly parents remember to turn the stove off. Investing in large-display timers with high-decibel alarms is a great choice, as these are easier to read and challenging to ignore.
One of the best high-volume kitchen timers for the elderly is the XREXS Digital Kitchen Timer, found on Amazon.com. This timer’s alarm is loud enough to be heard from other rooms, and it’s portable enough at only 0.44 lbs (0.2kg) to travel with your loved one, even fitting into most pockets.
The timer also has a red LED light that flashes when the alarm goes off, ensuring that even those with hearing impairments know when it’s time to head to the kitchen and turn off the stove.
Install a Kitchen Smoke Alarm
Although your elderly parent’s home might have a few smoke detectors and alarms, it’s crucial to have one in the kitchen.
Smoke alarms can act as early warning systems, reacting as soon as some smoke hits the air, as this alerts your elderly parents to put out kitchen fires or seek safety more quickly. Of course, a smoke alarm won’t help your loved ones extinguish a kitchen fire.
For that, you’ll need an easy-to-use lightweight fire extinguisher.
That said, a smoke alarm won’t do much if no one hears it. As such, if you know your elderly parent is suffering from hearing impairment, check out my article on how to get them to wear hearing aids. How to Convince a Parent That They Need Hearing Aids
Invest in a Lightweight Fire Extinguisher
The most commonly used fire extinguishers weigh between 4 and 20 lbs (1.8 kg to 9 kg). This weight range might not be an issue for most healthy adults, but it can make it challenging for older adults to use a fire extinguisher.
Although weight-lifting exercises can improve a senior’s ability to lift heavy objects, investing in easy-to-use, lightweight fire-extinguishing alternatives might be better. For example, the First Alert EZ Fire Spray only weighs 0.15 oz (4.4 ml) and features a quick-spray nozzle that can extinguish kitchen fires.
This tool is far easier to use than standard pin-pull models. Users only need to uncap it, aim the nozzle at the flames, and press down on the nozzle to put out flames.
Still, while using a lightweight fire extinguisher, and following additional stove safety tips, can reduce fire risks associated with leaving the stove turned on, they’re not permanent fixes for forgetfulness.
Consequently, you might consider discussing living situation options with elderly parents who consistently forget to turn the oven off.
When Elderly Parents Leave the Stove On: Options to Discuss
If leaving the stove on becomes a regular issue, it might be time to discuss additional options with your elderly parents.
Some options you’ll want to address include the following:
- Moving into an assisted living facility
- Hiring at-home caregivers
- Investing in devices that improve kitchen safety
The right choice for your parents depends on several factors, including their care needs, current health conditions, and living situation.
For example, investing in devices that improve kitchen safety could be the best choice for elderly parents living with their adult children. But hiring at-home caregivers might be the better choice for those hoping to retain their independence.
Let’s explore each option to discover which might work best for your elderly loved ones or shared household.
Moving Into an Assisted Living Facility
Although most retirement-aged adults prefer to continue living independently, moving into an assisted living facility could be the better choice in some cases.
Elderly parents who struggle to maintain their home’s cleanliness, remember to pay bills on time, or consistently leave appliances on, like the oven or stovetop, can benefit from moving into an assisted living facility.
Most assisted living facilities are essentially senior living communities with extra perks. They offer additional support to residents without taking away their sense of independence.
So, if you’re concerned about your elderly loved ones’ safety, sit them down and discuss the advantages of moving into assisted living.
Advantages of Moving Into an Assisted Living Facility
An assisted living facility offers several benefits over an independent living, but without forcing residents to adhere to strict schedules or eliminating their access to the outside world.
Some of the most notable benefits of moving into an assisted living facility include the following:
- A reduced chore load
- On-call medical assistance
- Increased access to activities
- Socialization opportunities with neighbors
Many assisted living facilities offer a wide range of life-improving services, including laundry, home cleaning, and chauffeur services. These reduce resident workloads, allowing them to spend their days doing activities they enjoy instead of spending time on household upkeep.
And while some assisted living facilities have apartments and homes equipped with personal kitchens, many others have communal cafes and restaurants that eliminate the need to prepare and cook meals at home.
Naturally, this means you’ll never have to worry about your elderly loved ones accidentally leaving the stove on. However, moving into assisted living can be hard for some elderly parents.
Fortunately, at-home care could be an ideal alternative that offers just as much peace of mind.
Also, during times like this, it’s worth exploring the question – should you buy your parent’s home from them? I have an article discussing this question in-depth, weighing the pros and cons that you should definitely check out. Should You Buy Your Elderly Parents’ House?
Hiring At-Home Caregivers
Let’s say your elderly parents refuse to leave their home and move into an assisted living facility. What can you do to ensure they receive the help and care they need?
You could hire an at-home caregiver trained to help seniors with day-to-day activities like bathing, cooking, and cleaning. But they can also offer medical assistance and dramatically improve your loved ones’ safety.
Some at-home caregivers also offer chauffeur services, allowing your elderly parents to enjoy their out-of-the-house activities without interruption.
Advantages of Hiring At-Home Caregivers
At-home care ensures that elderly individuals retain a significant portion of their independence, allowing them to continue living in their homes while still enjoying the care and assistance they need to remain safe, healthy, and happy.
This type of care also offers peace of mind to family members, as they can rest easy knowing that their elderly parents are being looked after by a friendly and compassionate trained professional.
These caregivers can ensure that kitchen appliances, including stoves, are never left on for dangerous periods of time. In fact, most are more than happy to prepare and cook meals for their clients, so your parents might never touch a stove knob again.
Devices That Can Help Your Parents Stay Safe in the Kitchen
If your elderly parents don’t want to move into an assisted living facility or hire at-home caregivers, you can invest in devices to help them stay safe in the kitchen.
For example, you can invest in the following:
- Smart knobs for stoves
- Induction cooktops and stoves
- Stove knob covers
Some of these devices are best for elderly parents living independently (i.e., without additional family members), while others are better suited to parents living with adult children. Let’s explore each option to determine the appropriate choice for your unique situation.
Smart Knobs for Stoves
A smart knob is installed on your stove, either separately or covering the regular knobs.
Smart knobs come with various functions depending on the brand, like alerting caregivers when the stove is in use, beeping when the stove is on for too long, and switching off the burners at a pre-set time.
These devices allow you to keep your parents and home safe without taking away their freedom. Fortunately, there is a range of smart systems to choose from, with different functions depending on your needs.
One of the best examples is the iGuard Stove, from Amazon.com. This device contains motion detectors that inform you when someone has entered or left the kitchen and if they’re using the stove. It also has a timer setting that you can adjust via the iGuard smartphone app.
Using this setting, and the built-in motion detectors, you can ensure the stove switches off for 15 minutes when there’s no activity near it.
The iGuard also has a locking feature that allows you to set specific “lock out” times. During these pre-set times, the stove won’t turn on, which is essential as some older adults like to cook things up at midnight when the rest of the house is asleep.
Overall, this is one of the best options for elderly parents living with their adult children.
Induction Cooktops and Stoves
The advantage of induction stoves and burners is that there’s no fire involved.
At worst, the stove or cooktop might get damaged after operating for too long. Induction appliances are an excellent option for elderly adults who prefer to live independently, as they don’t require adult children to monitor apps and constantly check in with their parents.
If you’re looking for an excellent induction stovetop burner, try the Duxtop Portable Induction Cooktop from Amazon. It’s highly efficient and much faster than gas or electric stovetops.
For example, the “Keep Warm” button automatically keeps the cooktop surface at 140℉ (60℃) for 30 minutes before switching off. This feature ensures your parents won’t damage the stove or overcook their food and burn it.
The induction burner also has an auto-pan detection system that switches the device off after 60 seconds if no pan is detected. It also works when the wrong material is placed on the induction surface.
These features protect you from fires. Besides, many induction kitchen devices are energy efficient, so they can also help you save money on gas and electricity bills over the long run.
Stove Knob Covers
If your parents have dementia and you prefer to keep them away from the kitchen, you should consider investing in knob covers for your stove. Knob covers are like a child lock on top of your stove knobs to prevent your parents from turning on the stove.
It safeguards your kitchen area, and most come with an easy-to-remove feature so you can resume using the stove whenever necessary.
The Safety 1st Knob Covers (available on Amazon) are ideal for this purpose and install quickly and easily. Even better, these knob covers are heat-resistant plastic to ensure they don’t melt or warp when exposed to high heat.
Final Thoughts
A stove or stovetop left on for extended periods can cause gas and electricity costs to skyrocket, increasing the fire risk. But when an elderly parent forgets to turn the stove off, it can be challenging to know how to prevent this issue from reoccurring.
Fortunately, you can install many devices to make the kitchen safer. You can use these items to set up your kitchen in a way that protects your parents without compromising their freedom.
Tenuto Properties LLC dba Growing Gray USA is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. We also participate in other affiliate programs which compensate us for referring traffic.