Abstract
Disability in bathing, an activity of daily living, has been shown to be an independent predictor of long-term nursing home (LTNH) admission. It is theorized that environmental adaptations (EA) in the home can reduce the physical demands of bathing and hence delay the development of this disability. This study aims to examine the effect of home environmental adaptations (EA) on bathing disability and subsequently on the probability of LTNH admission among older Americans with bathing disability.
This study uses data from Waves 8 to 11 (years 2006–2012) of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS). The analysis, based on responses to the experimental survey module on Characteristics of the Home Environment (N = 1616), is conducted in the framework of logistic models explaining self-reported disabilities as functions of related impairments and EAs. The mitigating effect of EAs on self-reported disabilities is measured via interaction terms between impairments and EAs and their significance tested using the t statistic.
Findings show that among people who have difficulty walking across a room, the presence of grab bars in the shower or tub area and of separate shower stalls is associated with lower probability of self-reported bathing disability. Among people who have difficulty stooping, kneeling and crouching, those who have separate shower stalls are also less likely to report having bathing disability. These results suggest that, by reducing disability rates, grab bars in the shower or tub area and separate shower stalls can facilitate aging-in-place and lower LTNH admission rates.