DataBrief:

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DataBrief Series ● December 2010 ● No. 7

Home Modifications

36% of seniors have added a home modification to theirliving environment?

• “Home modification” describes changes people make to their homes to help create a safer environment. Examples of home modifications include adding grab bars in the shower or installing a wheelchair ramp.

• Home modifications can enable seniors to live more independently and can lower long-term care costs by delaying the need for paid assistance or institutionalization.

• Most individuals add a home modification at their own expense. Only 6 percent of seniors had home modifications paid for by the government or insurance.1

• Although many home modifications are relatively inexpensive to install and maintain, 20 percent of those who added a home modification spent more than $500.2

Home Modifications

Page 2DataBrief (2010) ● No. 7

1 Avalere analysis of the 2006 Health and Retirement Study.

2 Freedman, Vicki A and Agree, Emily M. “Home Modifications: Use, Cost and Interactions with Functioning Among Near-Elderly and Older Adults.” Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation. October 2008.

The Majority of Seniors Who Have Added a Home Modification Have Paid for it Out-of-Pocket.

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64%

30%

6%Have Not Added a Home Modification

Have Added at Least One Home Modification: Paid Out-of-Pocket

Have Added at Least One Home Modification: Paid in Part by Government or Insurance

About the data:

Analytics powered by Avalere Health LLC

A Clear Policy ConnectionHome modifications can play an important role in enabling seniors to live safely in their own homes and maintain maximum independence.

Only a few federal programs currently pay for home modifications. Some states however, have included coverage for home modifications in their Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services waivers and have implemented other programs to help low-income individuals cover the cost of installing these useful supports.1

Policymakers should consider the role of home modifications in helping seniors remain in their homes as part of community-based long-term care planning, and seek ways to help low-income seniors cover the costs.

The facts about seniors making and using home modifications come from a supplement to the 2006 Health and Retirement Study, a longitudinal survey conducted every other year on individuals of retirement age living in the community. The survey asks people about their living arrangements, health status, and whether or not they have made or are using home modifications. This analysis is restricted to respondents 65 years old or older. The home modifications supplement is only administered to eight percent of survey respondents.

DataBrief (2010) ● No. 7Page 4

1 AARP Public Policy Institute. “Home Modifications to Promote Independent Living.” March 2010.