A small kitchen fire starts while the aide is with a client who uses a wheelchair. What comes first?

Grab the fire extinguisher before anything else and try to put the fire out

Open all the windows to let the smoke out

Call the agency to ask what to do

In the PASS method for using a fire extinguisher, what does the first S stand for?

Spray the top of the flames until they shrink

Shake the extinguisher hard before using it

Stand as close to the fire as possible

A client uses home oxygen. Which practice is safe?

Keeping smoking and open flames away from the oxygen

Lighting candles in the room as long as they are on a high shelf

Applying petroleum jelly to dry lips and nostrils

Turning up the flow rate when the client feels short of breath

To help prevent scald burns in a client's home, the water heater is commonly set no higher than:

140°F (60°C), so dishes come out sterile

The aide notices a lamp cord is frayed with wires showing. What should the aide do?

Unplug it, stop using it, and report it

Wrap it in tape and keep using it every day

Hide the cord under a rug so no one steps on it or sees the wires showing

Leave it, because it is not part of the care plan

How often should smoke alarms in a client's home be tested?

Once every five years, when the batteries are replaced and the unit is cleaned

Never, since they test themselves

Fire, oxygen and electrical safety in a client's home

Maintaining a safe environment and recognizing emergencies are both on the federal subject list, and in a home there is no fire team down the hall. These questions test two acronyms, RACE and PASS, and the specific rules for clients on home oxygen, which makes any spark far more dangerous.

RACE	Rescue the client, Alarm (call 911 from outside), Contain by closing doors, Extinguish only if small and safe
PASS	Pull the pin, Aim at the base, Squeeze the handle, Sweep side to side
First priority	Getting the client out, before fighting the fire
Windows	Opening them feeds a fire oxygen
Oxygen and flames	No smoking, candles, gas flames or sparks near oxygen
Oxygen and lips	No petroleum jelly or oil-based products; water-based products instead
Oxygen flow	Only the prescribed rate. The aide reports shortness of breath and never adjusts the setting
Smoke alarms	Test monthly
Water heater	120°F (49°C) or lower to prevent scalds
Frayed cords	Unplug, stop using, report. Never run cords under rugs
Clothing on fire	Stop, drop and roll, or smother with a blanket
Emergency plan	Know the client's contacts and plan for outages, especially for powered medical equipment

Where the point is lost: RACE puts Rescue first for a reason the test likes to check: an aide who grabs the extinguisher while a client in a wheelchair is still in the room has the order wrong. With oxygen, the trap is a reasonable-sounding comfort measure, such as petroleum jelly on dry lips or turning up the flow for shortness of breath. Both are wrong, and the second belongs to the nurse.