In response to statistics that 80% of injuries in those aged 50 and above occur in the home doctors at the Brazilian Orthopaedic and Traumatology Society held a competition for people to design a Casa Segura safe home. They found that simple measures such as replacing carpets and rugs with anti-slip flooring, installing seats in the shower, and using hand rails in stairways helped to prevent wrist, hip, and spine fractures. Although none of the preventative measures produced by the competition were new, the organizers believe that raising public awareness of how a house should be designed to prevent accidents. The one-bedroom 60-meter-squared house that won the competition costs around $20,000 to build.
SOURCE/REFERENCE: Reported by www.yahoo.com on the 1st December 2000
