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Challenges to Aging in Place: Understanding Home Maintenance Difficulties
Cara Bailey Fausset1, Andrew J Kelly, Wendy A Rogers
1School of Psychology, Georgia Institute of Technology.
Journal of Housing for the Elderly
|November 11, 2011
Summary
Older adults face challenges maintaining homes, impacting aging in place. Most rely on personal strategies rather than environmental changes to manage difficult home maintenance tasks.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Environmental Gerontology
- Occupational Therapy
Background:
- Aging in place is a desired goal for many older adults.
- Age-related functional declines can impede home maintenance capabilities.
- Home maintenance is crucial for safety, independence, and quality of life in later years.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the challenges older adults encounter in home maintenance.
- To identify strategies older adults use to manage difficult home maintenance tasks.
- To inform interventions supporting successful aging in place.
Main Methods:
- Structured interviews were conducted with 44 independently living older adults (mean age = 76.1 years).
- Participants discussed challenges in home maintenance and their coping mechanisms.
- Solutions were categorized as person-related or environment-related.
Main Results:
- Older adults reported difficulties with various home maintenance tasks.
- The majority of solutions (85%) were person-related (e.g., adapting personal behavior or seeking help).
- A smaller proportion of solutions (15%) were environment-related (e.g., modifying the home).
Conclusions:
- Older adults predominantly utilize personal strategies to overcome home maintenance challenges.
- Understanding these person-related solutions is key to developing effective support.
- Interventions should focus on empowering older adults' capabilities and adapting environments to facilitate aging in place.
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