Centre for Policy on Ageing



Is the typical modern house designed for future adaptation for disabled older people?
Author(s)	J P Frain, P H Carr
Journal title	Age and Ageing, vol 25, no 5, September 1996
Pages	pp 398-401
Keywords	Housing [elderly] ; Architectural design ; Design ; Adaption ; Physical disabilities ; Construction Industry ; Social surveys.
Annotation	The most recent proposals for revising the Building Regulations include provision for making all new homes adaptable so that occupants who become disabled may continue living in them. A letter was sent to the largest British house-building companies to assess the extent to which their homes are capable of easy modification in the future, followed up with a telephone survey of non-respondents (total response rate 88%). Only 3% of companies had designed and built adaptable housing; these are still at the trial stage. Many companies will modify houses if requested to do so in the construction phase, but demand for such alterations is low. Most companies accept that houses can be adaptable, but economic reasons largely prevent them from making them so. Adaptable housing from those seeking 'homes for life' is not a high priority for building companies.
Accession Number	CPA-970326011 A
Classmark	KE: YB3: 33: 5SA: BN: XH: 3F
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...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing.