Appropriate home modifications and behavior changes can improve quality of life.
 |
Laura Gitlin, one of the lead researchers in the study. |
Study results by Laura Gitlin and a team of researchers suggest that modifying the home and behavior can ameliorate home hazards and fear of falling.
A recent study in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (JAGS) reports that implementing appropriate home modifications and behavior changes among older adults can improve their quality of life.
Researchers Gitlin, Winter, Dennis, Corcoran, Schinfeld, and Hauck (2006) conducted a study to find out whether a combination of interventions could reduce home hazards, functional difficulties, and fear of falling and improve self-efficacy in older adults with chronic conditions. The study participants consisted of 319 older adults aged 70 and older living at home who had difficulty with one or more activities of daily living.
The combination of interventions consisted of occupational and physical therapy sessions that involved the following: home modifications and training in their use; how to problem-solve, conserve energy, safely carry out activities and recover from a fall; and training in balance and muscle strength.
The complete article can be found in the May 2006 (Volume 54, Issue 5, pp. 809-816)
of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, or at http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/toc/jgs/54/5 (accessed June 8, 2006).
Online Executive Certificate Program in Home Modification
Series #3 for 2006 Begins August 8, 2006
Take classes right from your computer! This program is designed for professionals who work directly or indirectly in the field of supportive home environments. By completing four courses, an ethics lecture and final exam, students obtain an Executive Certificate in Home Modification. For more information, click here.
|
