A Comparison of Barrier-free Access Designs for the Elderly Living in the Community and in Care and Attention Homes in Hong Kong

The growing rate of both the aging population and their disabilities are increasing the need for an age-friendly built environment. A feature of an age-friendly environment supporting elderly quality of life (QoL) is barrier-free access (BFA) design. This study compares the levels of satisfaction with BFA design between community-dwelling elderly and those living in care and attention (C&A) homes in Hong Kong. A questionnaire survey was distributed to community-dwelling elderly and those in C&A homes, to assess their levels of satisfaction with 11 BFA items. A total of 269 responses were received from elderly people living in the two housing types, while an independent samples t-test was used for data analysis. The study reveals that: (1) four out of the 11 BFA items have mean scores greater than five on a seven-point Likert scale for the elderly living in both community and C&A homes; and (2) six BFA items were significantly different among the housing types. The study recommends that universal design guidelines specifically considering elderly changing ability should be adopted for those staying in the community. The use of ceramic tiles is also suggested for wet areas and PVC tiles with non-slip granules for dry areas in both housing types.