Housing Modification Needs of the Disabled Elderly

Abstract

Little research has been conducted on the housing modification needs of the elderly. The fault lies partly with the lack of reliable data. Studies on housing modification needs of the elderly are often spotty, anecdotal, and unsystematic. Many rely on decennial census data, which provide a limited and unsatisfactory portrait of special housing needs of elders in general. This paper seeks to fill this void by reporting a comprehensive study of elderly housing modification needs. The logistic regression analysis found that gender, health, and living alone were the 3 best predictors of need for special housing modifications. Men, people who live alone, and persons with poor health have greater needs for housing modifications.