Housing Adaptations: Current Practices FutureChallenges

Abstract

Housing adaptation (or home modification) has been an important and common intervention in occupational therapy practice worldwide, based on the notion that occupational performance is the outcome of person-environment-occupation (P-E-O) transactions. Housing adaptation is applicable with all kinds of clients with occupational performance problems in the home setting, since most clients are older people (Iwarsson, 2005). Measures such as removal of thresholds, installation of shower stalls instead of bathtubs, and installation of handrails and grab bars are among the most common. However, based on considerable differences across countries, the possibility of providing such solutions as well as the role of the occupational therapist in the processes of performing housing adaptation vary considerably. A growing body of scientific evidence has the potential to strengthen this part of occupational therapy practice, with the ultimate goal of creating home environments supporting occupational performance. © Springer Science + Business Media, LLC 2009.