By 2050, one in five American citizens will be over the age of 65. Annually, one in three older adults suffers a fall, and a third of those fallers require medical attention. More than 50% of all falls happen in the home. Treating these injuries is expected to cost nearly $70 billion dollars by 2020. Fallers may require more professional care, which can be unaffordable and inaccessible for many families, especially in low income and rural areas. For this reason, many individuals continue to stay at home under the supervision of family caregivers.
Figure 1: Image provided by STEADI (stopping elderly accidents, deaths & injuries)
Our study examined how family caregivers managed caring for older adult loved ones. We conducted 14 interviews with families who utilized Daybreak, an adult daycare facility in California’s central valley, to understand the difficulties they faced caring for their loved ones.We found that a majority of caregivers were unable to afford consumer grade home modifications and smart home devices to help care for their loved ones. Instead, they relied on self-created modifications and devices. In one instance, a family set up a network of bells to help locate their loved ones through their home. In another a family re-organized their home to decrease walking hazards and obstacles. In every case, families changed/modified their home environment to better provide for their loved ones.
Our findings highlight the need for low cost and effective home modifications and devices. Governments around the world financially support the modifying the homes of older adults to increase safety. In the United States this lack of funding is pushing individuals to alternative solutions, some of which may not be as safe as professionally installed products. With the cost of treating fall related injuries approaching $70 billion dollars, we should invest in professionally installed home solutions to reduce injury
