Incorporating Home Environment Exposures into Assessment Tools for People Receiving Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS)
Brief Summary
The purpose of this project was to assess the feasibility of expanding assessment for home and community-based services to include residential environmental hazards that pose a risk to aging in place.
Objectives
- Review major tools currently used in home health/HCBS to assess the feasibility of incorporating a residential environmental hazards assessment module into existing home health assessment tools
- Develop and iteratively refine a residential environmental hazards assessment tool (Healthy Home Assessment Tool, H-HAT) that can be used as an add-on component to current assessment tools for Medicaid HCBS or other home healthcare services
- Test the usability of the tool with home health assessors and the feasibility of adding it to the resident assessment workflow
Results
H-HAT was piloted in 41 low-income older adult households in the Pittsburgh region. Mold odor was noted in 23% of residences, water damage in 48.7%, air quality above EPA standards in 61.0%, radon level above EPA standards in 21.9%. Residents received resources for mitigation through their community care managers as well as an air purifier as part of the program.
Community Impact
H-HAT offers a practical, feasible method for assessment and mitigation of negative environmental exposures through existing home and community-based services to promote aging in place.
Publications
Ohwobete, Jemima E., Fabisiak, James, Albert, Steven M., James, Everette, Pearlman, Jonathan, Toto, Pamela, Haig, Sarah-Jane, Everyday Exposures: Understanding How Controllable Home Environment and Air Purifier Operation Influence Indoor Microbial Burdens and ERMI in Real-World Residences, Indoor Air, 2026, 2408003, 13 pages, 2026. https://doi.org/10.1155/ina/2408003
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