title: Community Relocation in Very Old Age: Changes in Housing Accessibility.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this study was to compare environmental barriers, housing accessibility, and usability before and after relocation of very old, single-living people in the community. It also examined whether accessibility improved after relocation compared with a simulated scenario in which participants would have remained in their former dwellings.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data from the Swedish part of the longitudinal Enabling Autonomy, Participation, and Well-Being in Old Age: The Home Environment as a Determinant for Healthy Ageing database were analyzed with a before-and-after design (N = 29). Mean time from before to after data collection was 2.6 yr.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The number of environmental barriers was significantly reduced after relocation, especially barriers at entrances and in bathrooms. In addition, usability was stable and accessibility improved compared with the simulated scenario of remaining in the former dwelling.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Community-based moves to new dwellings may lead to fewer environmental barriers and stable levels of usability and accessibility. This relocation is a positive outcome, considering the expected functional decline in old age.
authors.affiliation: Marianne Granbom, Reg OT, PhD, is Lecturer, Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden; marianne.granbom@med.lu.se.
authors.forename: Marianne
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Granbom
authors.affiliation: Björn Slaug, PhD, is Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
authors.forename: Björn
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Slaug
authors.affiliation: Charlotte Löfqvist, Reg OT, PhD, is Senior Lecturer, Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
authors.forename: Charlotte
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Löfqvist
authors.affiliation: Frank Oswald, PhD, is Professor, Interdisciplinary Ageing Research, Faculty of Educational Sciences, Goethe University Frankfurt/Main, Frankfurt, Germany.
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Oswald
authors.affiliation: Susanne Iwarsson, Reg OT, PhD, is Professor, Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
authors.forename: Susanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Iwarsson
mesh_terms: D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001107:Architectural Accessibility; D004777:Environment; D004779:Environment Design; D005260:Female; D006798:Housing; D016852:Housing for the Elderly; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013548:Sweden