title: Housing accessibility for senior citizens in Sweden: Estimation of the effects of targeted elimination of environmental barriers.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To estimate the effects of targeted elimination of environmental barriers (EB) in the ordinary housing stock in Sweden, and to explore the estimated effects on accessibility at a population level in relation to (a) residents with different functional profiles, (b) different housing types and (c) building periods.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data on dwellings from existing Swedish research databases were utilized. EB and accessibility were assessed by means of the Housing Enabler instrument. In simulations of EB removal, five items that correspond to the most common housing adaptations were selected. The simulations were applied to four functional profiles of different complexity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  EB known to be commonly removed by housing adaptations exist in large proportions of the existing ordinary housing stock. Estimated targeted elimination of selected barriers would have the largest accessibility effects for the more complex functional profiles. The effects would be consistently larger for one-family houses, and for all types of dwellings built before 1960.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The elimination of the EB most commonly addressed by housing adaptations could result in a reduction of the housing accessibility problems that community-living older people are facing. For society to solve the housing situation for the ageing population well-informed and efficient upgrading of ordinary housing is imperative.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Health Sciences , Lund University , Lund , Sweden.
authors.forename: Cecilia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pettersson
authors.affiliation: a Department of Health Sciences , Lund University , Lund , Sweden.
authors.forename: Björn
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Slaug
authors.affiliation: a Department of Health Sciences , Lund University , Lund , Sweden.
authors.forename: Marianne
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Granbom
authors.affiliation: a Department of Health Sciences , Lund University , Lund , Sweden.
authors.forename: Marianne
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kylberg
authors.affiliation: a Department of Health Sciences , Lund University , Lund , Sweden.
authors.forename: Susanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Iwarsson
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001107:Architectural Accessibility; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006798:Housing; D006801:Humans; D057187:Independent Living; D013548:Sweden
keywords: Public health; functional limitation; home modification; housing adaptation; occupational therapy