Ageless Accessibility: Home Modifications for Comfort, Safety, and Independence in Later Life (Sep 18, 2025)

Ageless Accessibility: Home Modifications for Comfort, Safety, and Independence in Later Life is organized by Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists (CAOT) / Association canadienne des ergotherapeutes (ACE) and will be held on Sep 18, 2025.

Description:
This one-day workshop will build the competency of occupational therapists regarding what to assess and how, as well as how to overcome physical access barriers by matching home modification solutions to the needs of aging and older adults, and their care partners. This workshop will begin with an overview of how and where older Canadians typically live, the challenges they face both in terms of overcoming functional limitations and navigating the health care system, and the need for occupational therapy-based aging-in-place services. The presenter will then briefly touch on the collaborative role that occupational therapists (OTs) play relative to others involved in the home health and home modification industries (e.g., supplier-dealers, designers, contractors, builders, funders). Significantly more time and attention will be spent describing areas and methods of assessments, as well as residential design standards and guidelines for improved function, safety, and accessibility. This includes reviewing examples of home modification assessment tools, documentation, and report templates. Case scenarios and images of real-world projects will be used to explore best practices for age-inclusive, health promoting built environments. Small group discussions will be used throughout the workshop to assist participants in applying their knowledge to case scenarios.

Learning objectives:
By the end of this workshop, you will be able to:

• Define key terminology, including aging in place, home safety, home modifications, accessibility, and universal or inclusive design.\
• Understand the role of occupational therapists in facilitating aging in place via home modifications.
• Identify methods and practices used during occupational therapy-based home modification assessments with older adults.
• Describe home modification solutions to remove physical access barriers for aging and older adults.
• Describe home modification solutions to promote occupational participation among older adults.
• Respond to the individual and societal factors that influence the adoption of home modifications for aging in place.