Handrails for the elderly: A survey of the need for handrails and experiments to determine the optimal size of staircase handrails

Ishihara, Keiko; Nagamachi, M.; Komatsu, Kyoko; Ishihara, Shigekazu; Ichitsubo, M.; Mikami, F.; Osuga, Y.; Imamura, Keigo; Osaki, Hirokazu

doi:10.4017/gt.2001.01.03.006.00

Cited by 15 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…Similarly, the optimal set height for a handrail and anthropometry did not have strong correlations for Japanese rural elderly people (Ishihara et al, 2002). Kolich (2003) found discrepancies between anthropometrical criteria and preferred settings for car seats.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hand supports to assist toilet use among the elderly

et al. 2007

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Improving the toilet environment holds promises for increasing the quality of life for elderly and disabled persons. This is one of the goals of the Friendly Rest Room (FRR) project.The study described in this article explored the preference and use of supports in the toilet environment during the entire toilet ritual.An adjustable test frame was built with a toilet and three types of supports. Fourteen subjects were asked which positions they favoured for each support. After using all three supports they were asked which support they found most comfortable.In general, the preferred positions depended on personal preferences more than on dimensions of the body. It was concluded that there is a preference for vertical supports for sitting down and standing up. During toilet use the side supports were equally appreciated.Keywords: support, toilet, elderly IntroductionFor many elderly and disabled persons using the toilet is a problem: when help is needed their quality of life often drastically decreases. This research is part of the Friendly Rest Room (FRR) project which aims to study problems with existing rest rooms and to develop a friendly toilet environment: friendly to the largest possible group of users, for use at home, in homes for the elderly, hospitals or public environments. The FRR project is supported by the EU within the 'Quality of Life and Management of Living Resource' programme and Key Action 6: 'The Ageing Population and Disabilities' of the European Union.Ageing people in general deal with decrease of physical, psychomotoric and sensory capacities (Molenbroek, 1987). Because sitting down and getting up require postural control, the elderly are likely to have more trouble than younger people (Mourey et al., 1998).The most frequently applied method to deal with sitting down on and rising from toilets is the installation of a raised toilet. This possibly introduces other problems, such as increased straining and time on the toilet due to an unfavourable posture (Dov Sikirov, 2003). Kirvesoja et al. (2000) found indications for discomfort during prolonged sitting on elevated chairs.The method of using supports is the topic of this study. Supports allow the muscles of the legs to be assisted by the muscles of the arms and enlarge the footprint, enabling a more stable sequence of movements while sitting down and standing up. Raised toilets and supports are often combined to decrease problems with toilet use. 2Hand supports to assist toilet use among the elderlyThe ultimate friendly rest room will adapt to the user, as opposed to a toilet environment that the user has to adapt to. Within the FRR project an extensive search (Buzink et al., 2005) was conducted to find relevant literature for determining support types and positions.The most relevant publication (Bosman, 1999) reported that slightly more than half of the elderly prefer getting up with a pulling motion. A quarter of the subjects favoured a combination of pulling and pushing. The overall conclusion from this article is that the eld...

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hand supports to assist toilet use among the elderly

et al. 2007

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“…Ramps should be set alongside the stairs where elders may easily stumble. If there are too many stairs or the ramps are too long, handrails should be installed along them at a proper height (e.g., 666-778 mm as optimal [88]). Folding seats are also suggested to be installed on the walls along the building stairs, which can help elders to take a rest.…”

Section: Practical Implicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Influence of Outdoor Living Environment on Elders’ Quality of Life in Old Residential Communities

Liu

Cui

et al. 2019

Sustainability

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The population is getting older in Mainland China, which presents a huge challenge of how to support these increasing elders to enjoy a high quality of life (QoL). Due to the limited nursing institutions and Chinese traditional culture, aging in place is the most common choice for elders. Up to now, most elders in cities are living in old residential communities (ORCs) rather than new ones. Poor quality of outdoor living environment (OLE) in these ORCs cannot well support the daily life of the elders, especially for those with physical problems. A questionnaire study was conducted to explore the influence of OLE on the QoL of elders living in ORCs. A total of 107 questionnaires were completed by both elderly residents in ORCs (45.79% were male and 54.21% were female). The data was analyzed by a mix of reliability analysis, correlation analysis, and regression analysis. The results showed that physical health of elders was influenced by distance, safety, greenery, seat, recreational facilities; psychological health was predicted by width, height, and greenery; social relationship was affected by distance, safety, and recreational facilities. Based on the research results, recommendations were proposed to property management service providers and local governments, including providing more seats at a reasonable height, setting handrails alongside the long ramp, installing folding seats along building stairs, and so on.

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“…Bhalla (1997) in a study revealed that the major problems faced by the elderly were absence of railings/grab handles, too high working counters and storage shelves, slippery floor finishes, low height of electric switches, small sized rooms and unsuitable stairs. Ishihara et al (2002) also found that handrails inside and outside of the home are considered useful in assisting elderly people who live independently. So, a list of suggestions, to avoid or overcome these problems, was made and the respondents were asked to rank them according to their preferences.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 98%

Participation of special group people in household and personal care activities and problems faced by them

Bisht

2018

JANS

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The present study was performed to examine the participation of female wheelchair users in household and personal care activities, problems faced by them and to seek suggestions from them to improve their work environment.The study was conducted in Punjab state and the sample was selected from different districts of Punjab by using snowball and purposive sampling technique. Only those female wheelchair users were selected for the study who were involved in performing household work. Case studies on 10 female wheelchair users were done to gather relevant information from the respondents and their work participation profile was observed for three consecutive days. A self-structured questionnaire was prepared to gather the relevant data from the respondents. Results revealed that despite their physical limitations, respondents were involved in some of the activities in their homes. Difficulties experienced by respondents while performing household and personal care activities included poor eye sight, slow speed, early onset of fatigue and less light in the work area.

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Handrails for the elderly: A survey of the need for handrails and experiments to determine the optimal size of staircase handrails

Cited by 15 publications

References 8 publications

Hand supports to assist toilet use among the elderly

Hand supports to assist toilet use among the elderly

Influence of Outdoor Living Environment on Elders’ Quality of Life in Old Residential Communities

Participation of special group people in household and personal care activities and problems faced by them

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