Identifying Key Components of Paper-Based and Technology-Based Home Assessment Tools Using a Narrative Literature Review

The built environment of an older person's home can reduce or promote the possibility of a fall or other injury. A user-friendly tool can help the residents to evaluate their home environment within the context of their specific functional and mobility challenges, so that needed modifications can be identified and completed before an event causing injury occurs. The increasing use of telehealth and other digital technologies has paved the way for technology-based person-initiated home assessments that may allow people to evaluate and improve their homes proactively. The purpose of this literature review was to systematically analyze existing published paper- and technology-based home assessment tools to understand the structure and key characteristics of existing tools and to understand the limitations in existing home assessment tools. This review identified and compared 24 studies based on structure, content, and implementation. While a vast variety of tools and methods currently exist for conducting in-home or remote home assessment for older adults, there is a lack of a comprehensive and user-friendly technology-based tool that older adults can use to conduct an environmental assessment of their home in relation to their functional abilities, such that modifications may be identified that can prevent falls and other injuries.