Home Modification Resources

Library

Here you can find up-to-date information on all your health, home modification and consumer needs. The library is continually growing so be sure to visit often for updates and new articles.

AAA and NORCs - The Supportive Housing Connection: A Technical Assistance Quarterly from the National Resource and Policy Center on Housing and Long-Term Care
A Blueprint for Action - A conference that collaborates efforts to address the gap between the need and available assistance of home accessibility.
Accessibility: It's Yours for the Asking! - Find out what your rights are under ADA and the approaches you can take to increase accessibility in services and businesses.
Accessory Units(PDF) - This useful fact sheet defines accessory units, outlines their importance, who they benefit, as well as simple guidelines on how to begin..
A House for All Children - This useful book provides guidelines for creating a safe and supportive home environment for children with physical disabilities.
American Disabilities Act: A Comprehensive Overview - Come visit this site to find out more about ADA and how it prevents discrimination against individuals with disabilities in public and private sector services and employment.
An Analysis of the Effects of Ramp Slope on People with Mobility Impairments - A study conducted by The Center of Universal Design in North Carolina State University shows the effect of different ramp slope on people with disabilities, from background, methodology, to implications.
Assistive Technology Assessment: A Comparative Analysis of Five Models - This paper describes and compares five models of AT assessment that are: Matching Person and Technology, Lifespace Access Profile, SETT, Education Tech Points, and Wisconsin Assistive Technology Initiative.

Barriers to the Rehabilitation of Affordable Housing: Volume I - Findings and Analysis and Volume II - Case Studies - A publication that examines the barriers to housing rehabilitationthe through a cooperative research effort between HUD and the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Bringing Universal Design Ideas to the Public: Interactive Exhibits in Southern California - An article published in Maximizing Human Potential introduces two interactive exhibits in Southern California that educate people about home modification and how to implement the changes.
Building a World Fit for People: Designers with Disabilities at Work - This book describes the career development of 21 designers with disabilities from around the world and was written for young people with disabilities and their families, design students with disabilities, career and vocational rehabilitation counselors, design educators, and employers in design firms.
Caregivers' Perceptions of the Effectiveness of Home Modifications for Community Living Adults with Dementia Read about the study of the effectiveness of various modifications made mostly by caregivers to increase the safety or autonomy of persons with dementia.
The Caring Home Booklet Booklet covers the basics of what you need to know about people with Alzheimer's, their behaviors, and how to cope with the changes, and support their needs through environmental changes.
Consumer Knowledge of Home Modifications Covers the various strategies to educate consumers on knowledge about home modifications and increase their awareness and receptivity to home modifications.
A Consumer's Guide to Home Adaptation Published by the Adaptive Environments Center, this useful guide offers steps to modifying home environment from need evaluation, project planning to financing.
Directory of Accessible Building Products - This 2005 directory from the National Association of Home Builders contains information on over 200 products available to individuals with disabilities and functional limitations. The products listed are designed to enhance functional ability and accessibility in housing units.
The Do-Able Renewable Home This comprehensive booklet for consumers provides information you will need to make your home more livable, and overcome problems that might occur with age (limitations on movement, strength, dexterity, hearing, or eyesight.)
Elder Design Designing and Furnishing A Home For Your Later Years. A room-by-room guide to the products, design concepts, and technologies that will make your home into a safe, accessible environment. This comprehensive easy-to-follow guide offers simple, practical, and inexpensive ideas for turning the home into a safe, accessible haven. $14.95 Penguin Books.
Enabling Products Sourcebook 2 Provide professionals with objective, useful criteria when selecting products and identify products that are easier to use for the majority of people for longer period of time.
Factors Predicting Assistive Device Use in the Home by Older People Following Rehabilitation Focuses on how to better take care of individuals during the first 3 months home after rehabilitation. Visit this site and read about the factors that predict home use of assistive devices.
Falls Among Older Persons and the Role of the Home: An Analysis of Cost, Incidence, and Potential Savings from Home Modification. This article highlights the incidence and cost of fall injuries, the causes of falls, and the role of home modifications in fall prevention efforts. In addition, the article outlines a sensitivity analysis by the Lewin Group which focuses on home modifications cost and effectiveness on falls reduction.
Frail Elders and The Suburbs Do you have or know elder relatives living in single-family homes in the suburbs? Read about why and how elders grow frail in the suburbs and strategies that address this problem.
Funding, Financing and Other Resources for Home Modifications Need some guidelines on how to obtain funding? Visit this site and read the analysis from experts on the current constraints and future limitations to funding, financing and other resources for home modifications.
Government Housing Assistance This informative fact sheet includes information on different types of government housing, and how they benefit elderly individuals.
Home Modifications Among Households with Physical Activity Limitations
This is a summary from the periodical U.S. Housing Market Conditions highlighting the result of 1995 American Housing Survey (AHS).
Home Modification Capacity Building: Strategies from Programs in Action Read about the various projects aim to increase home modification for older and younger people with disabilities.
Home Modification Discussion Archives- Hosted by the University of Buffalo, this site features archives of monthly online discussion on various aspects of home modifications.
Home Modifications Resource Guide, 4th Edition (2003) (pdf) - Features resources for professionals interested in home modification: an annotated bibliography, an inventory of pertinent organizations and agencies and their utility, and a list of related journals and newsletters, websites, and assessment instruments.
Home Modification and Interorganizational Collaboration: Assessing the Relationship between California’s Area Agencies on Aging and Centers for Independent Living (PDF) - A report on the role of California’s AAAs and CILs in the provision of home modifications.
Home Modification Services in Indiana: Statewide Survey Results and Recommendations for Public Policy and Programs (2003) (PDF) - This report describes the status of services in Indiana that increase accessibility, safety, and independece for older people and people with disabilities in their homes.
Homes That Help: Advice From Caregivers For Creating A Supportive Home Read these helpful tips from experienced caregivers on how to better equip or alter the home environment to increase safety and accessibility.
House Calls for the Elderly As a special report found in Geriatric Times, this article introduces an interesting team approach toward home assessment, in which the physician directed team consists of OT, architect, remodeler, financial steward, and emergency response unit installer.
Housing America’s Seniors This report focuses on the housing needs of the elderly population. Most seniors wish to age in place but have to face the consequences of aging, and thus are restricted in their housing choices. The report examines the housing needs of America’s senior population, and urges the housing industry and public policy makers to respond with home modifications, supportive services, and housing alternatives. It also projects the demographic and economic profiles of the next generation of seniors and examines their likely housing choices, labor force participation, and lifestyles.
Housing Highlights: Home Modification and Repair This convenient checklist provides an overall assessment of your home -- a vital first step to home modification.
Improving the Delivery of Home Modifications This site provides insightful discussion that addresses the problem of supply and demand for home modifications services, the barriers to developing an effective system of delivery, and recommendations to possible solutions.
Innovations At The Cutting Edge This book contains new ideas for manufactured housing, from site design, structure, foundations, to the interios and accessories.
Life-Span Design of Residential Environments for an Aging Population A compilation of innovative perspectives from housing experts on residential environments that promote independent living.
Linking Housing and Services for Older Adults: Obstacles, Options and Opportunities - Long term care in today's society--the government and private sector responses, examined.
Lighting the Way: A Key to Independence - A series of booklets on lighting written in collaboration between AARP and the Lighting Research Center at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
The LRC developed three guidelines that address the needs of health care professionals, designers and builders, and the general public, including older adults and their families.
Making Life More Livable: Simple Adaptations for Living at Home After Vision Loss This newly updated and revised guide offers practical tips and useful illustration to help persons with vision impairment live independently.
Meeting the Needs of Older Persons to Age in Place: Findings and Recommendations for Action Submitted to the Commission on Affordable Housing and Health Facility Needs for Seniors in the 21st Century, this testimony by Dr. Jon Pynoos addresses the importance of home modification, its barriers, and recommendations to problems.
Metlife 2003 Market Survey on Nursing Home Costs Nationwide survey (in Microsoft Word) by the Metlife Mature Market Institute looks at average daily nursing home and hourly home health care aide costs. For more information about MetLife, please visit the company's website at www.metlife.com
The National Directory of Home Modification Resources This helpful directory provides information to aging network, services, and housing providers, and consumers about programs that modify and repair homes for elder people.
Olmstead and Supportive Housing: A Vision for the Future - Produced by Center for Health Care Strategies, Inc., this publication highlights the important relation between the Olmstead decision and supportive housing systems, as well as the opportunities that supportive housing provides.
The preliminary report of the "International Seminar on Environmental Accessibility; planning and design of accessible urban development in developing countries" including recommendations and reports from several countries.
A Profile of Older Americans: 2002(PDF) This brochure from the Administration on Aging provides updated statistics on older Americans in 13 key subject areas such as, income, marital status, and living arrangements.

Self-Evaluation and Transition Plan Guide for the ADA This contains compliance guidelines for the implementation of the American Disabilities Act (1990) by public agencies. Public agencies had to prepare a Self-Evaluation and Transition Plan to ensure that there were no discriminatory practices against people with disabilities.
Shared Housing(PDF)
Strategies for Home Modification and Repair This collaborative effort by the state of Minnesota Rehabilitation Services Independent Living Section provides design information and complete instructions on building various types of ramps to promote home accessibility.
Strategies for Providing Accessibility & Visitability for HOPE VI and Mixed Finance Homeownership Provided by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), this publication contains strategies to accessible designs that are both inexpensive and unobstrusive.
Systems, Change, Coalition, Building and Collaboration The various approach to help older adults and the disabled to stay in their homes longer by expanding the limits of standard housing.
Teaching Universal Design - 17 Ways of Thinking and Teaching - Presented by the Norwegian State Housing Bank this brochure introduces the upcoming new book about universal design
The Perfect Fit: Creative Ideas for a Safe & Livable Home - An AARP publication by Jon Pynoos and Evelyn Cohen that helps readers assess their home environment and make the necessary modifications.

U.S. Fall Prevention Programs for Seniors - Developed by the National Center on Injury Prevention and Control, this document contains selected model programs that use home assessment and modification, can serve as a guide for organizations that wish to develop fall prevention programs for older adults.
Universal Accessibility Conference Hailed a Success Find out what made this conference such a breaking success where hundreds of architects, designers, and other professionals attended this Accessibility Conference sponsored by the Access Board and the American Institute of Architecture.
Universal Design Accomodates Homeowners As They Age or Lose Mobility This article (in PDF format) from the Denver Post, discusses how universal design features can help homeowners "age in place". Universal design features in the home enable individuals to remain in their homes and can postpone and help reduce/prevent institutionalization.
Universal Design and Green Home Survey The purpose of this survey is to help people anticipate and plan for their current or future housing needs and budgets. Use the survey, as well as the Green Home Survey Checklist, to assess your home's sustainability and to learn more about green design.
Universal Design Comes Home Creative universal designed homes yourself with these useful tips!
Unlawful Discrimination (Chapter III: Housing) This site is an extract from the Civil Rights Hand book; it offers information on consumers' rights and remedies against unlawful discrimination in housing on both state and federal levels.
Urban Institute a nonpartisan economic and social policy research organization in Washington DC, has published a study on Community Development in the 1990's by Chris Walker and Mark Weinheimer.
Using Technology to Adapt Environments "When older adults' capabilities don't match the demands of the environment, perhaps the environment needs to be changed to adapt to environments." Read about how technology can enhance the functional level of people with disabilities.
Visitability Legislation - This is a matrix of visitability legislation in states and cities.
What Are Your Rights ? A factsheet on housing rights for tenants with disabilities governed by the Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988..
What is the ADA? Learn how this national civil rights law protects people with disabilities.
Where the Heart Is: How to Pay for Home Modifications - This helpful article explains how to find funds for home modifications by using grants, loans, deducations, mortgages, insurance policies, and local home repair and modification resources.
Why Older People Accept or Reject Assistive Technology This article will help better understand the suitable approach to older adults on assistive technology.

All publications printed with the expressed permission of their respective authors and publishers. In some instances not all publications could be reprinted in their entirety.