Purpose : To examine the ways of dwelling of elderly residents to provide a basis for home care support.
Method : Visits to target residents’ houses were made to draw “ Floor Plan Sketches”, take photographs, and interview the residents and care managers in charge, focusing on their ways of dwelling. Obtained data were analyzed to clarify the current status and challenges.
Result : Three houses were studied: an old traditional house that was built approximately 100 years ago; a detached house that was built 25 years ago when changing residence; and a detached house with a shop, which was built 10 years ago in consideration of the resident’s old age. Although the houses had been extended or renovated, including handrail installation, there were unused handrails, accessible slopes, or rooms in all cases. The residents reported inconvenience due to factors such as the steps in junctions of original house and extended house and the steps in the bathroom, but these were not regarded as important problems. On the other hand, care managers noted issues, such as an increased risk of falls and the necessity of arranging the ways of dwelling.
Conclusion : The improvement of way of dwelling regarded as a challenge by care managers did not necessarily accommodate residents’ needs. Further studies may be necessary to determine methods to appropriately arrange living environments with future perspectives.
