Examining Attitudes Toward the Homecare Suite: A New Housing Alternative for Elders

Abstract

For a housing option to be viable on the continuum of long-term care, it needs the approval of professionals (who would recommend it) and caregivers (who would use it). The purpose of this study was to compare attitudes of these important audiences toward the Homecare Suite—a private, fully accessible, modular apartment that families who wish to care for their elders at home can temporarily install in their garages. Results showed that professionals were signifi cantly more favorable toward the Homecare Suite than were caregivers, whereas caregivers with elders living in the community were more receptive than were caregivers with institutionalized elders. This preliminary evaluation suggests that this housing innovation is deserving offurther study.