Home Environmental Hazards and Ageing in Place: A Scoping Review
Keywords:
Home Environmental Hazards, Elderly, Ageing in PlaceAbstract
Introduction:
Ageing in place is a preferable choice for the elderly and it has been adopted as a response to population ageing. The elderly may remain in their own homes so that they can retain connections with friends and family in their community. However, the places in which people grow old often have home environmental hazards that may affect ageing in place. This scoping review aimed to identify environmental hazards that existed in the home of the elderly, factors that were associated with home environmental hazards, and the impact of home environmental hazards on the elderly ageing in place.
Methods:
We used PRISMA-ScR to search PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus databases. We included all English-language research on home environmental hazards, their associated factors, and impacts on elderly ageing in place. We analysed the study data and summarised the results. 30 records were reviewed, yielding 18 included studies.
Results:
There was a high prevalence of home environmental hazards in the home of the elderly with the bathroom being the most common location with environmental hazards. Certain factors such as socio-demographic, socioeconomic, living arrangement/house-related factors, and individuals’ health-related factors were associated with the presence of home environmental hazards. Fall was one of the impacts of home environmental hazards though its contribution to the risk of falling remained uncertain.
Conclusions:
Improved understanding of home environmental hazards and their impact on elderly ageing in place is important so that interventions can be done to reduce the presence and impact of home environmental hazards, and ultimately to protect the elderly’s health.
References
World Health Organization (WHO). Ageing and Health. Who [Internet]. 2021. Available from: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/ageing-and-health
United Nations. World Population Ageing 2019: Highlights (ST/ESA/SER.A/430). Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. 2019.
Clegg A, Young J, Iliffe S, Rikkert MO, Rockwood K. Frailty in elderly people. In: The Lancet. 2013.
United Nations. World Population Ageing 2020 Highlights. [Internet] 2020. Available from https://www.un.org/development/desa/pd/sites/www.un.org.development.desa.pd/files/files/documents/2020/Sep/un_pop_2020_pf_ageing_10_key_messages.pdf
Lu B, Yang M. Long term care and its solutions in China. [Internet] 2014. Available from: https://www.ilpnetwork.org/presentation/long-term-care-and-its-solutions-in-china/
Ma Y, Zou G, Siu KWM, Wong YL. Social-Architectural Design of Community-Based Embedded Comprehensive Elderly Centers in China. In 2018.
Maestas N, Mullen K, Powell D. The Effect of Population Ageing on Economic Growth, the Labor Force and Productivity. 2016.
Nagarajan NR, Teixeira AAC, Silva ST. The impact of an ageing population on economic growth: An exploratory review of the main mechanisms. Anal Soc. 2016;51(218).
Bloom DE, Chatterji S, Kowal P, Lloyd-Sherlock P, McKee M, Rechel B, et al. Macroeconomic implications of population ageing and selected policy responses. Vol. 385, The Lancet. 2015.
Australian Government Department of Health. Commonwealth home support programme. [Internet] 2018. Available from: http://health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/copyright.htm
Government Office for Science. Future of an Ageing Population. London, UK: Government Office for Science. [Internet] 2016. Available from: https://www.ageing.ox.ac.uk/files/Future_of_Ageing_Report.pdf
Stones D, Gullifer J. ‘At home it’s just so much easier to be yourself’: older adults’ perceptions of ageing in place – CORRIGENDUM. Ageing Soc. 2017;37(1).
Nakagawa T, Noguchi T, Komatsu A, Ishihara M, Saito T. Ageing-in-place preferences and institutionalization among Japanese older adults: a 7-year longitudinal study. BMC Geriatr. 2022;22(1).
Carter SE, Campbell EM, Sanson-Fisher RW, Redman S, Gillespie WJ. Environmental hazards in the homes of older people. Age Ageing. 1997;26(3).
Lord SR, Menz HB, Sherrington C. Home environment risk factors for falls in older people and the efficacy of home modifications. In: Age and Ageing. 2006.
Arksey H, O’Malley L. Scoping studies: Towards a methodological framework. Int J Soc Res Methodol Theory Pract. 2005.
Levac D, Colquhoun H, O’Brien KK. Scoping studies: Advancing the methodology. Implement Sci. 2010;5(1).
Tricco AC, Lillie E, Zarin W, O’Brien KK, Colquhoun H, Levac D, et al. PRISMA extension for scoping reviews (PRISMA-ScR): Checklist and explanation. Annals of Internal Medicine. 2018.
Gill TM, Robison JT, Williams CS, Tinetti ME. Mismatches between the home environment and physical capabilities among community-living older persons. J Am Geriatr Soc. 1999;47(1).
Gitlin LN, Mann W, Tomit M, Marcus SM. Factors associated with home environmental problems among community-living older people. Disabil Rehabil. 2001;23(17).
Huang TT. Home environmental hazards among community-dwelling elderly in taiwan. J Nurs Res. 2005;13(1).
Lan TY, Wu SC, Chang WC, Chen CY. Home environmental problems and physical function in Taiwanese older adults. Arch Gerontol Geriatr. 2009;49(3).
Lee S. Falls associated with indoor and outdoor environmental hazards among community-dwelling older adults between men and women. BMC Geriatr. 2021;21(1)
Lytras D, Sykaras E, Iakovidis P, Kasimis K, Myrogiannis I, Kottaras A. Recording of Falls in Elderly Fallers in Northern Greece and Evaluation of Ageing Health-Related Factors and Environmental Safety Associated with Falls: A Cross-Sectional Study. Occup Ther Int. 2022;2022.
Morfitt JM. Falls in Old People At Home: Intrinsic versus Environmental Factors in Causation. Publ. Hlth, Lond. 1983;97, 115-120
Romli MH, Tan MP, Mackenzie L, Lovarini M, Kamaruzzaman SB, Clemson L. Factors associated with home hazards: Findings from the Malaysian Elders Longitudinal Research study. Geriatr Gerontol Int. 2018;18(3).
Romli MH, Mackenzie L, Lovarini M, Clemson L, Tan MP. Home Hazards With Fear of Falling: Findings From the Baseline Study of the Malaysian Elders Longitudinal Research (MELoR). Front Public Heal. 2021;8.
Tsuchiya-Ito R, Slaug B, Ishibashi T. The Physical Housing Environment and Subjective Well-Being Among Older People Using Long-Term Care Services in Japan. J Hous Elderly. 2019;33(4).
Wang W, Chen J, Jin X, Ping Y, Wu C. Association between indoor ventilation frequency and cognitive function among community-dwelling older adults in China: results from the Chinese longitudinal healthy longevity survey. BMC Geriatr. 2022;22(1).
Chen C, Liu GG, Sun Y, Gu D, Zhang H, Yang H, et al. Association between household fuel use and sleep quality in the oldest-old: Evidence from a propensity-score matched case-control study in Hainan, China. Environ Res. 2020;191.
Clemson L, Cumming RG, Roland M. Case-control study of hazards in the home and risk of falls and hip fractures. Age Ageing. 1996;25(2).
Sattin RW, Rodriguez JG, Devito CA, Wingo PA. Home environmental hazards and the risk of fall injury events among community-dwelling older persons. J Am Geriatr Soc. 1998;46(6).
Leclerc BS, Bégin C, Cadieux É, Goulet L, Allaire JF, Meloche J, et al. Relationship between home hazards and falling among community-dwelling seniors using home-care services. Rev Epidemiol Sante Publique. 2010;58(1).
Northridge ME, Nevitt MC, Kelsey JL, Link B. Home hazards and falls in the elderly: The role of health and functional status. Am J Public Health. 1995;85(4).
Randström KB, Asplund K, Svedlund M. Impact of environmental factors in home rehabilitation - A qualitative study from the perspective of older persons using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health to describe facilitators and barriers. Disabil Rehabil. 2012;34(9).
Tsur A, Shakeer N, Segal Z, Itah D, Eluz D. Extrinsic and Intrinsic Factors for Falls That Caused Hip Fracture. Harefuah. 2017;156(5).
Ganz DA, Latham NK. Prevention of falls in community-dwelling older adults. N Engl J Med. 2020;382(8):734–43.
Deandrea S, Lucenteforte E, Bravi F, Foschi R, La Vecchia C, Negri E. Risk factors for falls in community-dwelling older people: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Vol. 21, Epidemiology. 2010.
Sousa LMM, Marques-Vieira CMA, Caldevilla MNGN de, Henriques CMAD, Severino SSP, Caldeira SMA. Risk for falls among community-dwelling older people: systematic literature review. Vol. 37, Revista gaucha de enfermagem. 2017.
Formiga F, Navarro M, Duaso E, Chivite D, Ruiz D, Perez-Castejon JM, et al. Factors associated with hip fracture-related falls among patients with a history of recurrent falling. Bone. 2008;43(5).
Burns ER, Stevens JA, Lee R. The direct costs of fatal and non-fatal falls among older adults — United States. J Safety Res. 2016;58.
Bradley SM. Falls in older adults. Mt Sinai J Med. 2011;78(4).
Amarilla-Donoso FJ, López-Espuela F, Roncero-Martín R, Leal-Hernandez O, Puerto-Parejo LM, Aliaga-Vera I, et al. Quality of life in elderly people after a hip fracture: A prospective study. Health Qual Life Outcomes. 2020;18(1).
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Injury prevention & control: traumatic brain injury & concussion. TBI: get the facts. Accessed date: 20 September 2016. Available from: http://www.cdc.gov/traumaticbraininjury/get_the_facts.html
Florence CS, Bergen G, Atherly A, Burns E, Stevens J, Drake C. The medical costs of fatal falls and fall injuries among older adults. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2018;66(4).
Dieleman JL, Baral R, Birger M, Bui AL, Bulchis A, Chapin A, et al. US spending on personal health care and public health, 1996-2013. JAMA - J Am Med Assoc. 2016;316(24).
Hartholt KA, Van Der Velde N, Looman CWN, Van Lieshout EMM, Panneman MJM, Van Beeck EF, et al. Trends in fall-related hospital admissions in older persons in the Netherlands. Arch Intern Med. 2010;170(10).
Stevens M, D’Arcy J Holman C, Bennett N. Preventing falls in older people: Impact of an intervention to reduce environmental hazards in the home. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2001;49(11).
Smith RD, Widiatmoko D. The cost-effectiveness of home assessment and modification to reduce falls in the elderly. Aust N Z J Public Health. 1998;22(4).
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2024 Muhammad Al Amin Shaharuddin, Mohd Rizal Abdul Manaf
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
IJPHR applies the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license to articles and other works we publish. If you submit your paper for publication byIJPHR, you agree to have the CC BY license applied to your work. Under this Open Access license, you as the author agree that anyone can reuse your article in whole or part for any purpose, for free, even for commercial purposes. Anyone may copy, distribute, or reuse the content as long as the author and original source are properly cited. This facilitates freedom in re-use and also ensures that IJPHR content can be mined without barriers for the needs of research.
