Home environmental hazards among community-dwelling elderly persons in Taiwan

The purposes of this study were to determine the prevalence and variables that best predict home environmental hazards among the community-dwelling elderly in Taiwan. An assessment was made of the home environments of 1212 people aged 65 years and older, chosen by cluster sampling from registered households in northern Taiwan. Environmental hazards were found in the majority of homes ( 60.4 % ) where community-dwelling elderly people lived. The bathroom was the most common site for environmental hazards. Significant predictors of potential home environmental hazards were: living in an urban area ( OR = 4.36, 95 % confidence interval ( CI = 3.29, 5.76 ) , poor awareness of one ' s health status ( OR = 1.86, 95 % CI = 1.31, 2.64 ) , family dysfunction ( OR = 1.77, 95 % CI = 1.21, 2.59 ) , fear of falling ( OR = 1.65, 95 % CI = 1.19, 2.28 ) , being older ( >/= 75 years, OR = 1.47, 95 % CI = 1.11, 1.96 ) , poor gait ( OR = 10.76, 95 % CI = 4.48, 25.84 ) and poor balance ( OR = 3.03, 95 % CI = 1.14, 8.09 ) . Most elderly persons do not live in a risk-free home environment. The recognition and removal of environmental hazards is imperative to the well-being of the elderly.