Using Home Modifications to Promote Self-Maintenance and Mutual Care

Abstract

Old-age homes, while not a recent phenomenon in India, are growing in number, especially in the southern part of the country. A study of nearly 50 such homes had, as one focus, the extent to which these facilities have modified the physical environment to enable residents to age in place. Not all desirable home modifications (HMs) are widely available; for example, only 25% had special seating in bathing areas, 48% used ramps and 21% employed handrails in hallways and bathing areas. In addition, many HMs are inelegant or primitive by U.S. and European standards, but still provide needed environmental support for residents. These HMs are important to enhance self-maintenance and also to enable residents to help each other. Mutual care helps build and maintain a sense of community, in keeping with Indian traditions of village-level concern for common well-being, and substitutes for small numbers of staff. With huge numbers of Indian elders (c. 170 million) in the next century, greater use of HMs in group homes will be vital to ensure a high quality of life.