Addressing an age old issue of the elderly

Addressing an age old issue of the elderly

The outcome of a case study by Birla Institute of Technology and Science and Swinburne, Ageing: Social Issues could do much to solve the daily challenges faced by India's ageing population problems, giving them independence in their own homes.

DAILY CHALLENGES facing India’s ageing population are confronted in a new book co-authored by Swinburne University of Technology, Australia academic Rashmi Kapoor.

The outcome of a case study by Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS) and Swinburne, Ageing: Social Issues, could do much to solve these problems, giving elderly people independence in their own homes.

According to Kapoor, by identifying these issues, Swinburne and BITS can begin to engineer products that best suit the needs of India’s elderly population.

“For example, one of the most common problems reported by the elderly was difficulty lifting and moving. These issues can be solved quite easily by installing railings along walls and bars at an angle in the bathroom so people can grab them at any height,” Kapoor said.

“Another problem we identified was difficulty gripping and holding on to objects. In this case, round door handles or taps, that older people can’t grip properly, can be replaced with bar-like handles that can be easily opened.”

According to Kapoor, age-related weakening is a growing problem in India and other developing countries as the elderly population are not used to living on their own.

“Unlike Western society where it is expected that elderly people will live by themselves, problems associated with ageing are relatively new for India’s elderly - this is where the collaboration between BITS and Swinburne is very important,” Kapoor said.

“Many of these engineering solutions have already been found successful in Australia, so now we can develop similar products for India’s ageing population.”

Kapoor believes that this book will also be a useful resource for other designers.

“By making this research available in a book, designers can adapt and create products that meet the specific needs of the elderly. So in the future if they are making a knife, for example, they know it has to have a chunky handle so it doesn’t slip out of someone’s hand.”

(Source: http://www.merinews.com/article/addressing-an-age-old-issue-of-the-elderly/15799820.shtml)