Electronic Blueprint - make homes safer for the elderly
Background
The general improvements in health and treatment of disease enable us to live
longer in our own homes. However, these homes still present considerable risk
of injury to the frail and elderly. The Victorian Government, Royal Australian
Institute of Architects and Archicentre provide a guide, "a housing profile of
Victoria's older population," which surveys these risks and provides useful
design information on minimizing them.
Summary of the Faults
The guide provides a survey of faults detected (as a percentage of the houses
inspected) by local government area, and the Victoria-wide results are tabulated
below. It can be seen that the most common faults relate to trip and fall hazards,
and the guide provides practical solutions for minimizing these hazards. The guide
states, "serious consideration should be given to the development of a standard
and associated regulation to ensure that only slip-resistant baths and shower
bases are installed in Victorian homes."
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