Every year more than 100,000 people aged 25-64 are injured as a result of a fall in their own home and more than 10,000 of them will be so seriously injured that they are unable to work. The estimated social and economic cost of all falls in 2010 was $1.84 billion.
To address this problem ACC is taking a new approach to reducing the number and severity of falls. An innovation programme called Idea Nation aims to generate new environmental, engineering or enforcement-based solutions to this national problem.
About Idea Nation
A key part of the Idea Nation programme is a series of Community Injury Prevention Forums that were held during March 2012 in Auckland, Wellington and Dunedin. The day long invitation only forums brought together 30-40 innovative thinkers from business, design, community and academic backgrounds. The purpose of the sessions was to brainstorm new solutions for the problem of falls in the home – an issue that no-one else in the world really knows how to solve.
The best ideas from the forums are now being evaluated for cost, impact and practicality by the ACC Injury Prevention team.
Idea Nation competition
On March 12 we called on all New Zealanders to submit their falls-prevention ideas.
A fall might sound trivial but every year hundreds of thousands of New Zealanders from all walks of life are hurt by a fall in their own home.
It impacts their families, incomes and our economy.
That’s why ACC called upon all New Zealanders to apply their number eight wire thinking to preventing falls in the home.
Entries closed on the 27 April 2012, judging will take place on 14 - 18 May and the winners will be announced June 2012.
More information
Email ideanation@acc.co.nz for further information on Idea Nation.
Last updated: 30 April 2012