Fire Safety for an Ageing Population
Despite a large decline in the number of fatalities in Sweden since the 1950s, fire-related mortality is still a problem with around 100 deaths per year in fires. Most Swedish studies have shown significant differences in the risk of fire and the risk of injury and death from fire between different age groups, socio-economic groups and geographical areas. A group that recurs as a particularly vulnerable person is elderly people. This group also represents the age group that increases most in society in terms of population size. The measures traditionally used in fire prevention are at risk of less effective for the elderly group, where an important risk factor is the reduced capacity to deal with the situation.