When thinking about safety, Aged care facilities should be designed to support a range of conditions. These include specialised dementia care, psychogeriatric disorders as well as high dependence care.
The building should be designed to facilitate the easy and safe access and flow of residents, staff and visitors. Safety must be addressed in a number of different ways including flooring selection, infection control, universal accessibility, fire safety, air quality, security and privacy. Residents in aged care facilities experience three times the rate of falls than older people living in the community (Rubenstein et al., 1996 as cited in Shanley). The risk factors for falls are considered to be a combination of intrinsic (related to the person) and extrinsic (related to the environment).
Hufcor movable partitions are supported on tracks from above — no floor tracks to get in the way, no tripping hazards and no crevices to collect debris. When an acoustic bottom seal is needed, the seals are incorporated and activated from within the operable panels.
