Fire safety in planning of elderly residential facilities: a case study from Korea

In line with the global phenomenon of population aging, Korea is rapidly becoming an aged society. This research focuses on the lack of residential facilities for elderly people in Korea. It aims to explore the plans and current situation of elderly residential facilities and to identify the relevant challenges and issues. The case study of elderly residential facilities consists of three methodologies; the type of facility and physical evacuation conditions, the planning and usage of the facility, and interviews with relevant parties. The case study reveals fire safety issues by the degree of obsolescence and the size of the facility. It was found that the general response to obsolescence was unprofessional compared to the increase in remodelling demands. In terms of evacuation conditions, the facilities complied with the requirements for evacuation instruments, yet generally were lacking in proper instructions or concrete evacuation plans. The status of this was worse for smaller facilities. This research discusses specific issues with the floor plans, and interview records. Based on the analysis data, it suggests directions for future enhancement of the highlighted fire safety issues in the planning of elderly residential facilities, and the relevant institutional support plans as research outcomes.