Self-assessment of the home environment to plan for successful ageing: Report from a digital health co-design workshop

Abstract

Many middle aged and older people will need to adapt or modify their home in order to age in place. Arming older people and their families with the knowledge and tools to assess their home and plan simple modifications ahead of time will decrease reliance on professional assessment. The objective of this project was to co-design a tool which enables people to assess their own home environment and make future plans for ageing in the home. We recruited members of the public who were aged 60 or older to attend a series of two co-design workshops. Thirteen participants worked through a series of discussions and activities including appraising different types of tools available and mapping what a digital health tool might look like. Participants had a good understanding of the main types of home hazards in their own homes and the types of modifications which may be useful. Participants believed the concept of the tool would be worthwhile and identified a number of features which were important including a checklist, examples of good design which was both accessible and aesthetically pleasing and links to other resources such as websites which provide advice about to make basic home improvements. Some also wanted to share the results of their assessment with family or friends. Participants highlighted that features of the neighbourhood, such as safety and proximity to shops and cafes, were also important when considering the suitability of their home for ageing in place. Findings will be used to develop a prototype for usability testing.