There are several devices that you should certainly have in the home of anyone that is suffering from Alzheimer’s Disease. In fact, a few of these devices ought to be in anyone’s home, whatsoever.
I’ll give you a brief run down.
Carbon-Monoxide Alarms
The Dangers of CO Exposure
Carbon monoxide, abbreviated CO, is often termed the “silent killer” – and for good reason. This odorless gas can be fatal to humans (and other animals) in high-enough concentrations, or over long-enough periods of time. From what I understand, the chemical arrangement of CO is such that our bodies treat it like oxygen (O2), which (of course) we need to live. When CO is inhaled, the body assimilates it and starts to distribute it around through the bloodstream. However, and obviously, it isn’t oxygen. So, our cells begin to die when there are given this “ersatz oxygen” instead of the real stuff.
The remedy is to replace the CO with actual O2 by breathing in clean air, usually by moving to a different (and uncontaminated) area. Since CO poisonings generally occur indoors, typically this would mean that a person goes outside.
The really scary part is that CO gas is virtually undetectable via the five senses. Persons dying from CO exposure may not even realize that anything is wrong until things are too late. The main symptoms are extreme confusion, dizziness, drowsiness (which makes it less likely that a person would be able to evacuate the contaminated area), headache, and skin-color changes (which can be subtle and get disregarded or overlooked).
I have read horrific accounts that describe people dying (or receiving irreparable brain/tissue damage) even after they were discovered (usually asleep, drunk, or lethargic), due to the fact that their bodies were already overly saturated with CO.
CO buildup can occur in any of a number of ways. It could happen due to a blocked fireplace flue or smoke stack. It could occur because of a damaged, dented, or misaligned water-heater vent. It can happen if someone starts a combustion engine (like a car or lawnmower) in an enclosed and inadequately ventilated space, like a garage. It can build up from incompletely burned fuel in boilers, cookers, or heaters.
Whatever the cause, the bottom line is that you – and your loved ones – want to avoid the disaster of being asphyxiated or poisoned to death with CO. Therefore, since you cannot rely on your nose, you need to use some sort of CO alarm, monitor, or detector.
I have tried numerous CO monitors myself. And, in fact, I never rely on just one in my house. (I’m somewhat paranoid like that.) But, what I have discovered about most of these alarms was somewhat disconcerting and surprising (to me, anyway).
Not All CO Detectors Are The Same
It turns out that CO monitors come in two main types: low-level and high-level. The relatively inexpensive devices at your local hardware store typically detect high levels of CO. The exact threshold varies depending on the device, but usually this is in the range of 60 to 100 parts-per-million (ppm) or greater.
Now, in some situations, this is sufficient protection. For example, if a person has a fire going in a fireplace, but the flue is blocked or closed, theoretically, the CO will just build and build. So, plausibly, CO levels will eventually get to the point where they will be detectable by a functioning high-level detector.
But, be forewarned that there are some situations in which dangerous CO may be present, and may even build, but where levels never get high enough to trigger a high-level detector. In these cases, you need a low-level detector to protect your loved ones.
High-Level Detectors May Not Catch Low-Level Problems
My family had one such situation when we had a malfunctioning gas water heater. To summarize a somewhat convoluted and lengthy story, I will say that the repairman we called investigated and then informed us that the water heater was giving off CO. I was incredulous since I had a CO monitor positioned within inches of the thing. However, the levels were between 10 and 15 ppm. He explained that this was far too low a level to trip the high-level detector.
We came to find out that the pilot flame was not burning correctly and that this was causing CO gas to be present in the home. But, through that experience, I learned that sometimes abnormal CO can be present without triggering many inexpensive CO alarms.
The Danger of Low-Level Exposure
There are conflicting opinions as to whether low-level CO exposure is a major health concern. After all, you may be exposed to low levels of CO when you get stuck in traffic congestion. But the real issue is chronic exposure to low levels of CO. And there hasn’t been much research done on this question.
Our water heater was breaking. And it was kicking off CO. How long had we been breathing in these low levels before we discovered the problem? We have no idea. And what health effects did we suffer? Again …unknown.
Recommendation
So, to guard against future problems along the same lines, what I have done is to invest in one low-level detector, which I have in the basement – in close proximity to the water heater. I augment this low-level detector with around six other high-level detectors distributed throughout the house.
There aren’t too many low-level detectors on the market. Here are my top three:
- National Safety Institute Model 3000 (Click HERE to read more)
- Defender LL6070 (Click HERE to read more)
- Kidde KN-COU-B (Click HERE to check the current price on Amazon; click HERE to check the current price at HomeDepot)
As for high-level detectors, I’d grab a handful of them to place around your apartment or home. Here are the two that I use:
- Kidde KN-COB-B-LP (Click HERE to check the current price on Amazon)
- Kidde KN-COPP-B-LS (Click HERE to check the current price on Amazon)
Motion
Natural-Gas Alarm
I remember distinctly. We thought that we were covered with CO alarms and smoke detectors. We didn’t think much about natural gas in our house. Until …
I’m still not sure what happened. But, perhaps more importantly, I am still not sure when “it” happened. Which is a lot scarier to me, actually, because there’s no telling how long we all were breathing in gas.
Even though there was a hint of sulfur smell (in a certain corner of the basement) when I first moved in with my dad, I didn’t do anything right away. Why not? Frankly, I kept second guessing my nose. I’d think: “Does that smell like gas?” But then …the smell would seem to vanish. So, I would think: “Nah. I must be mistaken.” (I read somewhere that scents (or odors) can sometimes seem to disappear after a while because our smell receptors just sort of ignore them.)
And then …the odor got worse — and it spread over a larger portion of the living space. Finally, when the small became undeniable, I call the gas company. They verified that, yes indeed, there was a leak.
Since that experience, I have used a natural-gas detector for the peace of mind that it brings me. At least I don’t have to worry about (or obsess over) what I am smelling. If I think that I smell rotten eggs nowadays, I just check the detector and then rest safely in the belief that one of my teenagers just neglected his trash-removal duties. (But that is a different problem.)
Honestly, I don’t know how many of these sensors are on the market. But the one that I use is the Nighthawk/Kidde KN-COEG-3. (Click HERE to check the current price on Amazon.)