Review Article: Environmental Hazards at Home and Ergonomics as Fall Prevention for Elderly Population

Abstract

This review is aimed to suggest opportunities where physiological concept may be useful to design trends to suit this rapid increase of elderly Thai population. A review of articles is presented to establish background information on the circumstance of the country which is entering the stage of becoming aging society. Also, the review provides comprehensive discussion from falls in older people to fall prevention which can be managed by interior design of the ergonomics concept. The review indicates that falls result from a complex interaction between personal factors (e.g., vision, hearing, posture, and gait) and environmental factors (environmental hazards) generating challenges and barriers related to the built environment (e.g., bathroom, built-in and loose furniture, flooring and stepping, and lighting). In this review, design recommendations which focus on bathroom function are described to promote better design integration with egonomics as a component of interior design for falls prevention strategy. Forming understanding of falls, what can increase chance of falls and what can be done as a precaution in terms of design will bring more possible opportunities to reduce the incidence, minimize chance of consequent injuries, improve overall well-being of older adults as well as possibly give inspiration on improving the quality of life.

Residential Interior Design for People with Special Needs in Thailand Based on Physical Abilities: Age, Gender, and Living Environment Considerations

“…According to our findings, there are gender differences among people with special needs that are similar to those found in the general population, particularly among the elderly. The present study discovered that female participants had lower postural stability and stepping ability than male participants, which was consistent with several studies that found that women were more likely to fall due to difficulties in balancing, tripping, or slipping, even within their own homes [8,27,28]. Moreover, the greater movements observed in the arms and hands of the female participants can be attributed to their role as housewives and the everyday housekeeping they perform [29].…”

“…This is supported by previous research, which found that people with disabilities who engaged in high-mobility environments had higher levels of physical activity, more social interactions with their communities (outside of their homes' activities), and better health in both body and mind [38][39][40]. Conversely, older people who had low mobility (due to environmental restrictions, such as home hazards or inaccessible facilities) were associated with inactive behavior, a fear of falling, low social engagement, and a higher risk of chronic diseases [8,39,41]. Thus, this correlation result emphasizes the importance of interior design, which has a major effect on the well-being of people with special needs.…”

“…Environmental hazards at home among vulnerable populations, including the elderly and individuals with special needs, have been identified as one of the major flaws in interior design, such as accident-related falls, which can lead to serious injuries and mortality [8,9]. Interior design that restricts mobility within the home (for example, complex layouts, tight corners, narrow doorways, flooring that is too slippery, and a large number of stairs) can be categorized as unsafe design since it includes barriers or obstacles that limit access for users to complete their tasks successfully and safely [6,9,10].…”

“…Interior design that restricts mobility within the home (for example, complex layouts, tight corners, narrow doorways, flooring that is too slippery, and a large number of stairs) can be categorized as unsafe design since it includes barriers or obstacles that limit access for users to complete their tasks successfully and safely [6,9,10]. These factors may also hinder some essential daily activities or make self-care activities more difficult, such as toileting, 2 of 17 bathing, and cleaning, which reduces their independence and makes them more sedentary, all of which delay or distance healthy living [8,11]. Meanwhile, the global population is aging, and the number of people over the age of 60 is growing [4,12].…”

A validity study to consult on a protocol of a home hazard management program for falls prevention among community dwelling stroke survivors

“…Gitlin [ 44 ] defined home environmental modifications as a vast array of strategies that include structural renovation, assistive devices, placement of visual cues and memory aids, and rearrangement or removal of furniture and dangerous household items as well as the simplification of tasks. As the interior space of home may become a place of safety and security [ 45 ], ergonomics in floor designs and appropriate posture techniques [ 46 ] are also advised as part of the intervention as these techniques could minimize barriers and increase supportive features to facilitate participation in activities of daily living and leisure within the home [ 45 ]. Limitation in methodologies which include low risk populations [ 28 ], the lack of adherence to the program and differences in the trial populations may also have influenced the outcomes [ 47 ], as well as adopting a checklist as opposed to using a functional environmental evaluation [ 48 ] which could have decreased the sensitivity in detecting home hazards.…”