Author Description

Older people and people with a disability have a right to be included in all aspects of home and community life, and yet, environmental barriers continue to exist in the built environment. There are concerns about how well homes can support older people and people with a disability over time as their needs change. Occupational therapists are well suited to determining the most appropriate home modification solutions to address environmental barriers. They possess the knowledge and skills necessary to evaluate people’s current and future needs in the context of the nature and use of the environment and can work collaboratively with design and construction professionals to develop solutions. To be comprehensive and effective in their approach, occupational therapists need to understand not only the individual’s requirements, but also, the ethical and legal contexts for practice, the technical aspects of the built environment, the relevance and intent of access standards and design approaches, and the application of a range of products and finishes. An Occupational Therapist’s Guide to Home Modification Practice, Second Edition by Elizabeth Ainsworth and Desleigh de Jonge and their team of expert contributors provides comprehensive information to inform occupational therapists about current practice and research. This includes the authors using a transactional approach to examine the person-occupation-environment interaction and providing occupational therapists with a detailed understanding of the various dimensions of the home environment that can impact on client’s home modification decisions. New material has been provided relating to research and practice issues, such as an overview of the latest home modification outcome research findings as documented in literature; an update on outcome evaluation; new research information about the dimensions of the home impacting on decision making; additional information grabrail and ramp prescription; and the inclusion of ne