The Costs and Benefits of Home Modification vs. Relocation - Health - Disabilities

Home modification can be defined as "all efforts to improve a given physical home environment with the aim to make it better suitable to the functional needs of a given person" (Wahl et al, 2010). For the elderly, people with a disability, those with an injury or illness, or those with a degenerative condition, home modification can greatly improve quality of life, physical and psychological well being.

Being independent in your own home is not only something that you deserve; it is something that you need. Studies have shown that people who have had their homes modified so that they can perform daily tasks better, more quickly and with less pain or effort are less depressed and even live longer than those who struggle on a daily basis to carry out the simplest of tasks. That said, the cost of home modification, which may or may not be wholly or partially funded by Medicare, depending on your individual circumstances, can be high. Is it better to simply move home, or to invest in home modification?

Having the support of a good occupational therapist, who can thoroughly and properly assess your needs, helps enormously, and listening to their advice will give you insight into the options available for you. Many people wish to remain in the house that they call home; the place where they have raised a family and shared memories with their loved ones. Moving home, while it may be a practical solution for some, is costly, stressful and unsettling and may not be an option at all if there is no suitable, accessible housing available in your area. Making physical alterations to your home to improve accessibility and mobility can also be expensive and lowers the value of your home too. If your medical needs allow it, it may be a far less damaging solution to modify your home instead by installing one or a number of accessibility and mobility aids that can help you to gain independence and freedom in your own home. The range of aids available is huge and can be tailored to sui t the leanest of budgets.

Whether you have a need for basic accessibility equipment such as wheelchair ramps and grab rails or more sophisticated technology such as bath lifts and lift chairs, each product type has a range of models from basic to more advanced options. The basic models do not compromise on safety - government regulations will not allow this. They offer no less medical or physical advantage than the more expensive models; the only difference between standard and premium products is the extras that may come with it, or the variety of uses. For example, a two-position lift chair has the same medical advantage as an infinite-position chair in that it raises to allow the sitter to come to a more comfortable standing position, but an infinite-position chair has the added advantage of being able to recline further, and may have extras like heated seat pads or a vibrating massager. Similarly, a solid wheelchair ramp does exactly the same thing as a more expensive modular or multi-fold ramp , but can only be used in one position.

Compared to the stress and energy drain of moving home, home modification by way of installing mobility and accessibility aids can be liberating and confidence-boosting - exactly what you need when you are feeling poorly or coming to terms with the fact that you cannot do the things now that you were once able to do.

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