ABSTRACT

Objective : This study was conducted to investigate the effects of home modification and intervention using assistive devices on occupational performance, activities of daily living performance and risk factor at home in people with disabilities. Methods : Eight participants diagnosed with cerebrovascular diseases and physical disabilities due to chronic diseases were included in this study. The Canadian Occupational Performance Measure(COPM) was used to identify important daily activities at home and confirm the performance and satisfaction of the activities. The Assessment of Home-based Activities(AHA) was utilized to identifythe importance, difficulty and safety scores of selective activities . The Home Safety Self-Assessment Tool(HSSAT) was used to identify risk factors at home. In order to compare the effects of home modification and intervention using assistive devices on occupational performance, activities of daily living and risk factors at home before and after the intervention, Wilcoxon signed rank test was conducted. Results : The front entrance, living room, bedroom, kitchen and bathroom were selected as important spaces to conduct occupational performance. After the intervention of home modification and assistive devices application, performance and satisfaction significantly increased. There was a significant enhancement in independence and difficulty in the level of activities of daily living at home, and the overall risk factors at home significantly decreased, especially in the bedroom and bathroom. Conclusion : The occupation-based home modification and intervention using assistive devices improved occupational performance of people with disabilities and reduced the risk factors at home. Researchers were capable of providing chances of maintaining independent role and participating in daily lives to people with disabilities. We suggest applying various assesment tools for each individual’s household and expect more occupation-based home modifications to happen.