Low-Income Seniors Able to Live More Independently Through Handyman Program

Where you live plays a big role in staying independent as you age. Researchers say an innovative program combining home fix-ups and visits from occupational therapists improved low-income seniors' ability to care for themselves in their own homes. Still to be answered is whether that better daily functioning also saves taxpayer dollars — by helping enough older adults with chronic health problems avoid costly hospital or nursing home stays. "We're improving people's lives, improving their abilities," said Sarah Szanton, a Johns Hopkins University associate nursing professor who leads the experimental program reported Wednesday in the journal Health Affairs.