Improving the Delivery of Home Modifications

by
Jon Pynoos, Ph.D.
Andrus Gerontology Center
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA 90089-0191

Written as part of:
A Blueprint for Action: The Second National Working
Conference on Home Modification Policy
April 22-23, 1996
Washington, DC

The full version of this paper can be found in the January / February 1998 issue of Technology and Disability.

The growing number of older adults and younger persons with disabilities who would benefit from home modifications have not yet been matched by a delivery system capable of responding to their needs. The delivery system for home modifications is a patchwork of fragmented and uncoordinated services with significant gaps in types of services available and geographic coverage. These problems are compounded by factors that limit both the demand for and supply of home modification services. This paper discusses the incidence and need for home modifications; what is known about service delivery; barriers to developing an effective system; promising recent developments; and recommendations for next steps.