Allet L1,2, Ludwig C3, Fragnoli V2, Baudouin T4, Wuest F4
1Geneva University Hospitals and University of Geneva, Department of Community Medicine, Geneva, Switzerland, 2HES-SO//University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Western Switzerland, Physiotherapy, Geneva, Switzerland, 3HES-SO//University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Western Switzerland, Nursing Sciences, Geneva, Switzerland, 4Hepia, Haute École du Paysage, d'Ingénierie et d'Architecture, Geneva, Switzerland
Background: « Aging-in place » contributes to successful aging, inasmuch as a balance is found between individuals' resources and the constraints and opportunities of their environment. Yet, an insufficient amount of housing opportunities adapted to age-related loss of resources is available and housing needs cannot be covered by building new homes only. Hence, adapting existing homes seems a reasonable alternative.Occupational therapists often suggest some basic housing adaptations to facilitate daily living. However, these adaptations are often not sufficient to respond to individual needs and fully promote ageing in place. Our claim is that joint and inter-professional projects are needed to assess the benefits of housing adaptations and to raise professionals awareness of the “Housing and Mobility“ theme.
Purpose: The « Senior citizens' housing project » is an inter-professional project (health professionals and architects) which intends to renovate older individuals' homes and to assess the benefits of these adaptations on the inhabitants' health, fall risk and quality of life.
Methods: Several housing adaptations are planned in the French speaking part of Switzerland. A mixed method design is used to assess its effect upon residents´ (men or women aged 65 or older) health and quality of life.
We visit each participant four times. Besides the identification of the needs for housing adaptation we assess the senior citizen´s health, fall risk and quality of life using a) standardized questionnaires and b) a semi-structured interview. The first two visits (minimum 1 month apart) provide us with information prior adaptations. The third (within one month after adaptation) and fourth visit (6 month after adaptation) serve to assess the impact of the adaptation on the inhabitant´s health, fall risk and quality of life.
Results: At the WCPT conference we will illustrate through a single case different possibilitites of housing adaptations and its impact on health and quality of life. For this specific case the usability of the bathroom has been improved by facilitating accessibility to the bathtub. Motion detection switches allow the person to go in a secure manner to the toilet during the night. The fall risk of the participant decreased from 40 points on the FES-I scale at preadaptation to 29 points at post adaptation. The resident mentioned in the topic centered interview that she is now autonomous for the shower, which promotes her intimacy. The conducted housing adaptation allowed her to stay at home and its costs (3´000 CHF) correspond to a stay of around 2 weeks in a home or to 3 hours of home help per week (basic hygiene care such as the toilet and getting up) during 4months.
Conclusion(s): This study represents a way of proposing solutions to maintain elderly people at home by adapting their living space to the evolution of their health.
Implications: The following developments are planned:
I. Expansion of existing services (via the counties or other existing facilities) to provide a home adaptation service consultation at a reasonable price.
II. Interdisciplinary education using the results of this study to enrich the teaching in superior professional degrees of architects and diverse health professionals.
Keywords: healthy ageing, housing, older people
Funding acknowledgements: This project was funded by the Leenaards foundation and by the HES-SO Geneva
Purpose: The « Senior citizens' housing project » is an inter-professional project (health professionals and architects) which intends to renovate older individuals' homes and to assess the benefits of these adaptations on the inhabitants' health, fall risk and quality of life.
Methods: Several housing adaptations are planned in the French speaking part of Switzerland. A mixed method design is used to assess its effect upon residents´ (men or women aged 65 or older) health and quality of life.
We visit each participant four times. Besides the identification of the needs for housing adaptation we assess the senior citizen´s health, fall risk and quality of life using a) standardized questionnaires and b) a semi-structured interview. The first two visits (minimum 1 month apart) provide us with information prior adaptations. The third (within one month after adaptation) and fourth visit (6 month after adaptation) serve to assess the impact of the adaptation on the inhabitant´s health, fall risk and quality of life.
Results: At the WCPT conference we will illustrate through a single case different possibilitites of housing adaptations and its impact on health and quality of life. For this specific case the usability of the bathroom has been improved by facilitating accessibility to the bathtub. Motion detection switches allow the person to go in a secure manner to the toilet during the night. The fall risk of the participant decreased from 40 points on the FES-I scale at preadaptation to 29 points at post adaptation. The resident mentioned in the topic centered interview that she is now autonomous for the shower, which promotes her intimacy. The conducted housing adaptation allowed her to stay at home and its costs (3´000 CHF) correspond to a stay of around 2 weeks in a home or to 3 hours of home help per week (basic hygiene care such as the toilet and getting up) during 4months.
Conclusion(s): This study represents a way of proposing solutions to maintain elderly people at home by adapting their living space to the evolution of their health.
Implications: The following developments are planned:
I. Expansion of existing services (via the counties or other existing facilities) to provide a home adaptation service consultation at a reasonable price.
II. Interdisciplinary education using the results of this study to enrich the teaching in superior professional degrees of architects and diverse health professionals.
Keywords: healthy ageing, housing, older people
Funding acknowledgements: This project was funded by the Leenaards foundation and by the HES-SO Geneva
Topic: Older people; Older people; Health promotion & wellbeing/healthy ageing
Ethics approval required: No
Institution: HEdS et HUG
Ethics committee: Cantonal Ethics committee CCER - Req-2017-00841
Reason not required: The study does not fall within the scope of the Human Research Act (LRH)
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
