Page 22 - Green Builder Magazine May-June 2019 Issue

THE HELPFUL HOUSE
We think there’s a better way. An ALT house should assist the
resident, even if they don’t remember (or agree) to wear a certain
piece of fancy hardware. Take the Walabot (see Assisted Living
Technology Showcase, p. 33). It’s a fall sensor that goes on the wall,
instead of on the person.
Such a product tells us that when a person falls, it’s the oor that’s
the real problem, right? And of course, gravity. We can’t alter gravity
(yet), but we certainly can alter ooring.
What if, in senior-ready housing, oors are designed to absorb the
shock of a body falling? The nursing home industry has studied this
problem, and you can nd articles about what they term “compliant
ooring.” Another study by the Swedes oŠers a snapshot of how
Not so hip. Expecting seniors to strap on wearables, such as this inflating air important ooring is in a fall. They put down a special oor in a nurs-
bag, may be asking too much. ing home, made with 12-mm-thick closed cell exible polyurethane/
polyurea composite tile, and evaluated injuries from falls. Because
PREPARE THE HOUSE, NOT THE AMBULANCE DRIVER the impact is about 65 percent reduced from a typical oor, there
The commercials about “The Clapper” give the impression that if an were far fewer serious injuries.
older person falls and “help is on the way,” things will be okay. But Not surprisingly, most modern nursing homes have the wrong
that’s often untrue. Once a fall happens, a downward health spiral kinds of oors to prevent injuries from falls. They tend to go with
may begin. commercial, easy-to-clean vinyl sheets and VCT (vinyl composition
If falls are so deadly, are wearable “fall sensors” the solution? Aren’t tile) over concrete, a most unforgiving combination. One concern is
they treating the horric outcome of the fall, rather than preventing cost. Another reason is that softer oors make the work of caregivers
it? One tech company has taken a shot at this problem, for example, slightly harder, and in certain cases could lead to more falls, albeit
with a wearable hip-belt that inates like a car seat bag to prevent fewer fractures.
broken hips in a fall. It’s too pricey at $800, and has been criticized, But there’s no reason homebuilders should follow this bad
because seniors won’t wear it. example. Private homes are an easy x. A Korean study on oor

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