How to Protect Our Seniors From Power Outages
The grandparents and parents we love who are Baby Boomers are in their retirement years or retiring. These proud senior citizens love being independent and hate relying on others.
A growing number of seniors are choosing to live independently in their own homes so that they remain in familiar settings. Unfortunately, this results in other family members worrying about their health and safety as they age. Many elderly depend on life-sustaining medical devices or mobility equipment as summarized below.
- Electric wheelchairs or scooters
- Kidney dialysis machines
- Respirators and ventilators
- Suction and oxygen therapy machines
Manmade or natural disasters can cut electricity from a utility for several days or more. Extended power outages may be life-threatening for senior citizens who have assisted medical requirements. Moreover, elderly people who can’t see inside a dark home can have a bad fall causing injury or requiring hospitalization. Their health can be severely affected when cooling and heating systems are not regulating temperatures in their homes.
Standby Generator Protection
Modern standby generators can detect a power outage and automatically activate in a few seconds. After utility service is lost, an automatic transfer switch starts the generator and transfers the power it produces to a home’s electrical panel. This means you won’t have to do anything once it starts functioning. Along with mobility and medical assistive devices, essentials such as cooling, heating, lighting, and refrigeration can keep running when utility power is cut.
A standby generator is usually fueled by a home’s supply of natural gas and can continuously run for about a week. Seniors can stay safe because they won’t have to walk outside during a storm to refuel a generator. After utility power is restored, the transfer switch turns off the generator and automatically reconnects utility power to the home’s electrical panel.
Talk to a licensed electrician experienced in the installation of standby generators in your area. This professional can help you select a unit that can provide your home with adequate electricity during power outages. Making the proper choice will allow your family to have all the electricity needed before power from the utility is restored.
Electrical Peace of Mind
Providing professional electricians since 1988 in Maryland, Cook Electric is the company you can rely on for all your electrical service needs. For knowledgeable, fair, honest, reliable, and conscientious service, call Cook Electric today at (410) 266-9040. We will be very glad to help you.