Adaptations for independent living by older frail households

This paper examines how well older frail households cope with the requirements of independent living. Three groups of requirements are considered: household operation activities, housing consumption adjustments, and health-related activities. The analysis is based on the Survey of Housing Adjustments conducted by the Census Bureau for the Department of Housing and Urban Development, supplemented by data from the Annual Housing Survey. We find that those lacking financial resources and informal support are less likely to cope with independent living requirements, and that families bear the major burden in helping frail elders meet these requirements.