Participation in Everyday Life Before and After a Housing Adaptation

Thordardottir, Björg; Chiatti, Carlos; Ekstam, Lisa

doi:10.1080/26892618.2020.1755141

Cited by 7 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…Different authors have reported that the older people became, the more likely they were to make home modifications or relocate [ 38 , 39 ]. A study by Thordardottir et al [ 20 ], investigating the participation in everyday life of people who had benefited from housing adaptations, highlighted an additional issue: being independent in daily life at home will require modifications due to changes in health status and needs over time [ 20 ]. To remedy this difficulty, particular attention should be paid to assessing home-dwellers' level of participation in everyday life before undertaking home adaptations [ 20 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A study by Thordardottir et al [ 20 ], investigating the participation in everyday life of people who had benefited from housing adaptations, highlighted an additional issue: being independent in daily life at home will require modifications due to changes in health status and needs over time [ 20 ]. To remedy this difficulty, particular attention should be paid to assessing home-dwellers' level of participation in everyday life before undertaking home adaptations [ 20 ]. However, none of these authors reported any kind of a missed timepoint or situation of no return when people suddenly feel too old to adapt their home.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Home adaptation also meets certain political expectations because it represents a potential solution to the financial and social challenges of fulfilling the needs of a constantly growing older adult population. Although several studies have highlighted the benefits of home adaptations [ 20 – 22 ], to the best of our knowledge, none had evaluated older adults' expectations of the individualized adaptations that might allow them to age at home and then their perceptions of the effects of those adaptations. Given that most older adults want to age at home, adaptations could be a pertinent solution for those likely to experience functional difficulties, but the proven effects of adaptations on this population should be evaluated.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Needs, benefits, and issues related to home adaptation: a user-centered case series applying a mixed-methods design

et al. 2022

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Introduction Home adaptation can be a key contributor to successfully aging at home, allowing older adults to remain in a familiar environment while maintaining their quality of life and well-being despite progressing functional difficulties. Although several theoretical studies on home adaptations exist, the benefits of custom home adaptations remain poorly evaluated. The present study's primary aims were to explore older adults' expectations and needs regarding home adaptations and evaluate the impact of individualized home adaptations on quality of life, fear of falling, independence, and difficulties using adapted rooms. Its secondary aim was to describe the barriers and facilitators of home adaptation. Method The 15 homes in this case series were adapted using an inclusive, interdisciplinary approach. Adaptations' effects were assessed using a parallel mixed-methods design. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected using questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. An architect and a health professional visited each home twice to assess the older adult's expectations and needs, evaluate the home's technical aspects, and co-create an adaptation plan with that study participant. They assessed the older adult's perceived quality of life, fear of falling, independence, and difficulties using the rooms needing adaptations. Inhabitants received two more visits after the adaptations (one or two months and six months later) to assess their benefits. Results Most homes had their bathroom adapted. Participants reported improved safety, independence, ease of use, positive feelings, and comfort. They also reported lower perceived levels of difficulties during the activities of daily living in the adapted rooms (reductions of 93.4% [SD = 12.7] of bathrooms and 100% of kitchens), an improvement in quality of life of 9.8% (SD = 27.6), and a reduction in fear of falling of 12.5% (SD = 9.7). Conclusion Home adaptations are beneficial to older adults' activities of daily living and improve their quality of life; however, several factors hinder the implementation of those adaptations.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Needs, benefits, and issues related to home adaptation: a user-centered case series applying a mixed-methods design

et al. 2022

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“…Two studies observed that smaller spaces limited physical activity (Reid, 2004;Voss et al, 2020), and that renovations (e.g., bathroom expansions in private dwellings) increased engagement in ADLs (e.g. showering) (Thordardottir et al, 2020). However, older adults experienced difficulties navigating and engaging in physical activity when retirement villages were too large (Nathan et al, 2014a,b).…”

Section: Building Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These features also restricted access to spaces (e.g., waste disposal bins) (Benzinger et al, 2014). Conversely, ramps enabled physical activity (Thordardottir et al, 2020). Cross-cutting domains Accessibility Niva and Skär (2006) observed that the following modifications increased accessibility: removal of thresholds, new taps in the bathroom and kitchen, and wider doorways.…”

Section: Stairs and Rampsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Indoor Built Environment and Older Adults’ Activity: A Systematic Review

et al. 2022

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Although the physical environment can influence people’s activity, there are few knowledge syntheses for indoor environments and older adults’ daily life routines. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review of peer-reviewed evidence to inform future research and practice. Inclusion criteria were studies with any research designs, across all years and languages focused on older adults 60 years of age or more, on physical activity/sedentary behaviour and the indoor environment. After searching five databases, two authors completed title/abstract and full-text screening. The last search was on December 19, 2020. We screened 1,367 citations, and included 23 studies situated in private or collective dwellings (e.g., assisted living). We identified physical activity-supportive indoor features across three domains: campus (e.g., amenities, pathways), building (e.g., area, floor level), and fixtures (e.g., elevators, hallways). Knowledge of indoor environmental factors for older adults’ engagement in daily activities can guide future research and policy on housing design.

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