Identifying and validating housing adaptation client profiles – a mixed methods study

Abstract

Purpose: An increasing number of people will live with disabilities in their homes and consequently, the need for home-based interventions will increase. Housing adaptations (HAs) are modifications to the physical home environment with the purpose to enhance independence for a heterogeneous group of people. Increasing the knowledge of the characteristics of HA clients by exploring their heterogeneity, could facilitate the planning of interventions and allocation of resources. The purpose of this article was to identify and validate HA client profiles.Materials and methods: This cross-sectional study applied a mixed methods design to identify profiles of HA clients through cluster analysis confirmed by qualitative interview data. The sample consists of 241 HA clients in Sweden with a mean age of 75.1 years.Results: A classification into five groups emerged as the one best describing the heterogeneity of characteristics among this sample of clients. Five client profiles were outlined based on their age and level of disability, and the variation between the profiles was confirmed through the qualitative interview data.Conclusions: The identified client profiles are a step towards a better understanding of how home-based interventions could be delivered more effectively to groups of HA clients, based on their different characteristics.Implications for rehabilitationHousing adaptations are structural modifications to the physical home environment with the purpose to enhance independence for people with disabilities.People applying for housing adaptations are a heterogeneous group with different needs.This study outlines five client profiles which can guide professionals on how to differentiate home-based interventions and follow-up processes among housing adaptation clients.