ABSTRACT
The Hartford House is an exhibit that is a real house—or at least part of a house. It comprises a full-scale living/dining room, kitchen, bedroom, bath, hall, and stairway. Statistics only too familiar to gerontologists and others in the aging field summarize the dilemma that drove The Hartford House planning decisions. The Hartford House displays a variety of security products. A portable security intercom allows identification of visitors from anywhere in the house—a feature particularly helpful to people with mobility limitations. The Hartford House helps demonstrate the “quality of life” connection between health and safety. Visitors to The Hartford House see and touch doors and faucets with easily operated handles, thermostats and telephones with large numbers, table lamps that turn on and off with just a touch rather than a twist, a nonscalding hot water device, fire-retardant furnishings, a stove that reduces risk of clothing fire. People—especially older people—often perceive themselves as the culprit when home accidents occur.
