Abstract
The purpose of this study is 1) to clarify that the house is no long the safe place through the cases of the senior safety accidents and to argue the need for housing repair and 2) to present the minimum standards for housing repair by comparing the cases here as well as the abroad and to back up the standards with the current senior housing environment 300 people at least 60 years old living in Seoul$\cdot$Metropolitan area were interviewed using the structured questionnaire. As the result, the following conclusions were made: 1. There was high accident rates of the senior residents due to physical deficits within the house, causing excessive medical cost and decreased housing satisfaction. This problem can be sufficiently prevented by housing repair which can not only solve the safety problem but also support self sufficient living for the senior residents. 2. Proper housing repair required the architectural know how as well as the expertise knowledge of the physical characteristics of the senior people. Therefore, it is essential to secure the professional (i.e., occupational therapist) who can analyze the needs of the senior residents and evaluate and/or predict the obstacles during repair. Furthermore, development and distribution of the standardized manual are also needed. 3. The minimum standard for housing repair could be approached in view of 'barrier-free' concept. First, the bumps should be removed, slippery prevented, and safety grab-bar installed for safety. Second, the entrance should be widened and the bathroom and kitchen restructured to support for the senior residents' self sufficiency. To make housing repair policy more efficient, the legal basis is required. It can be incorporated into the existing senior citizens 'Welfare Act' or the 'Senior Residents Medical Insurance' which will be effective starting in 2007.