Safe @ Home

Part 1: Drawing key lessons

The students selected on a very common used object – Grab bar. This is the type used by the elderly in places like the toilets or along walkways to prevent falling. The ideas were truly innovative yet simple. The improvements made were to install a SOS button should help be required by the elderly, especially in the toilet or bathroom due to a fall etc. The glow in the dark paint would also help the elderly navigate their way especially in the initial instance of finding the grab-bar. All these are very simple but highly innovative ideas.

Areas for improvement are:

Perhaps the addition of a LED light attached on the underside will also help to illuminate dark areas especially when some elderly folks do not like to turn on lights. This would be an automatic motion sensor type that would turn on by itself, thus lighting up the way especially in dark corridors or rainy days where it is usually darker. The slide panel for the SOS button could easily slide off, so a flip-type may work better. Separating the two buttons needs to be considered as well as during emergencies, there will be no time to read instructions but a clear SOS button is crucial.

Part 2: Exploring Possibilities

All current grab-bars are very simple with no frills and therefore, there are no current solutions that we can learn from. However, the use of SOS buttons, Glow in the dark paint etc are all used in other products that can be easily adapted into the grab-bar making it more elderly friendly.

What are some related problems or areas that other pupils can explore in future? The students have a heart for the mobility issues faced by the elderly and can definitely explore in other areas as well. The current grab-bar is worth exploring to make it into a reality as well.