OBJECTIVE: To investigate longitudinal changes in activities of daily living (ADL) dependence and aspects of usability in housing among clients receiving housing adaptation grants in Sweden.METHODS: The ADL Staircase and the Usability in My Home instruments were used to collect data on three occasions: at baseline 1 month before housing adaptation, at follow-ups 2 to 3 months after housing adaptation completion, and after another 6 to 7 months. In all, 131 clients, living in ordinary housing 24 to 93 years of age were consecutively enrolled.RESULTS: Overall ADL dependence did not change significantly whereas dependence in "Bathing" decreased over time. "Activity aspects" and "Personal and social aspects" of usability improved at different phases in the process.CONCLUSION: This study delivers new insights about the complexity of longitudinal person-environment-activity transactions, specifically targeting activity and usability. The results are useful for developing efficient strategies for evaluating housing adaptations within occupational therapy practice and research.
Activities of Daily Living Adult