The effect of housing adaptations on the meaning of home for families with a disabled child

What is it about?

This article focuses on families’ experiences of the meaning attributed to adapting the home and highlights that, although satisfied with the completed adaptation, families were dissatisfied with the process they had been through. Home has multiple meanings and functions, this is especially so for families with a disabled child. For these families , home provides more than a physical environment in which to live. For families with a disabled child, the home has to facilitate care, provide space to accommodate equipment, promote the child's independence as well as accommodating other family members, and provide a social space for the family.. Yet, the process of housing adaptations can have a negative impact on the meaning of home, resulting in the adaptation not being used effectively and impacting on how the family use and live in their home. The study used different research methods ( survey and interviews) to investigate family and professional perspectives on housing adaptations for disabled children. The online survey was completed by 39 professionals including among others occupational therapists and housing officers. A survey aimed at families was completed by 16 families with a disabled child. In addition we conducted 48 , semi-structured interviews with families with disabled children A key finding found that families felt excluded from the process as it progressed. This had a negative impact on the continuing use of the adaptation and affected the meaning of home for families with a disabled child.

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Perspectives