National home safety design standards

Australian governments should consider implementing a home safety design ratings scheme to improve safety for seniors in the home and reduce government spending on health care, say architects.

 

By Natasha Egan

A group of architects is calling on Australian governments to consider implementing a home safety design ratings scheme to improve safety for seniors in the home and reduce government spending on health care.

The Homesafe Group, which was established by architects to improve quality of life for Australians through home safety and good design, released its home design program at the HIA Home Show in Sydney today.

Architect and Homesafe Group managing director Robert Caulfield said accidents in the home often led to a loss of independence for victims and had a substantial impact on hospital budgets.

“With Australia’s population ageing rapidly and the growing massive cost on the national health budget, attention needs to be given to the concept of national home safety design standards.

“With the exclusion of over 65’s from the National Disability Insurance Scheme, home safety design standards could be one of the positive government strategies to help protect the increasing number of older Australians from injury in the home,” Mr Caulfield said.

Measures to improve safety are relatively easy and inexpensive to implement and design safety standards could be integrated into universal design concepts, he said.

“Home safety design does not add cost nor does it compromise design integrity, but it can save lives – there is no worse situation than seeing your loved ones injured in your own home, later realising that it could have been prevented.”

The group says a road toll approach, which is based on public awareness and good design principles, is needed to cut injuries in the home, which account for a high proportion of hospital admissions among Australia’s seniors.

More than 80,000 people aged 65 and over were hospitalised in Australia due to falls in 2009-10 with the average length of stay 15.5 days for falls related injury, according to last months’ Australian Institute and Welfare report Hospitalisations due to falls by older people.

Mr Caulfield said his experience showed that falls around the home among adult males often occurred while doing home maintenance and involved situations such as falling off a ladder or roof while cleaning out the gutters.

Designing houses with leafless gutters, which don’t require maintenance, and roofs with safety anchors are simple and inexpensive solutions, he said.

“In the future people purchasing a home may look for a safety rating, similar to the vehicle safety ratings, which have played a major role in reducing Australia’s road toll.”

Home buyers will pay a premium

Likening the situation to car standards and energy rating schemes, Mr Caulfield said home buyers in the future would pay premium prices for properties designed to reduce preventable injuries.

Home and renovation safety design could also become a major marketing tool for selling homes or for anyone renovating a home, he said.

National Seniors CEO Michael O’Neill agreed there were many business opportunities associated with an ageing population.

“Astute architects and developers will be aware of the enormous business opportunities associated with an ageing population.

“With the baby boomers already hitting 65, there’s a huge, growing and lucrative market for innovative, age-friendly design not only in housing but also work and recreational spaces,” Mr O’Neill said.

However, he said seniors shouldn’t have to pay more for safety.

“Age friendly design or home safety standards are not something that older Australians should have to pay a premium for,” he said.

“Rather these safety standards should be accepted as universal or the norm.”

If you would like to find out more about safety in the home you can visit The Homesafe Group to download information guides or click the following to see their home safety guide or DIY home improvement guide.

 

Tags: falls, falls-prevention, home-safety-design-standards, robert-caulfield, the-homesafe-group,

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