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."