Projects
The Pynoos Lab coordinates and offers many projects designed to maximize independent living for older adults.
The Fall Prevention Center of Excellence
The Fall Prevention Center of Excellence (FPCE), based at the University of Southern California Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, is dedicated to promoting aging in place and independent living for persons of all ages and abilities. It offers research, training, and technical assistance opportunities for professionals who wish to respond to the increasing demand for home modification services and address fall prevention in the home environment.
Projects of the FPCE include:
Homemods is provided to you as a service of the University of Southern California Leonard Davis School of Gerontology. The website was originally created by the National Resource Center on Supportive Housing and Home Modification, with support from the Archstone Foundation. We are headquartered at the University of Southern California Leonard Davis School of Gerontology in Los Angeles, California.
What is Home Modification? Home modification refers to converting or adapting the environment in order to make performing tasks easier, reduce accidents, and support independent living. Home modification, ranging from low-cost to more expensive adaptations, includes removing hazards (e.g., clutter, throw rugs), adding special features or assistive devices (e.g., grab bars, ramps), moving furnishings, changing where activities occur (e.g., sleeping on the first instead of second floor) and renovations (e.g., installing a roll-in shower). In some cases, modifying the home may also require repairs such as improved wiring to eliminate the need for dangerous extension cords or fixing loose stair treads.
Promoting Aging in Place by Enhancing Access to Home Modifications
This 3-year U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Community Living Grant is designed to maximize older adults’ ability to age in place by increasing the availability and awareness of home modification through research, training, technical assistance and information dissemination to professionals and consumers.
Executive Certificate in Home Modification Program
Since 2004, this dynamic and well respected Program of five interactive, online courses has trained over 1,500 professionals working directly or indirectly in home modification for older adults and people with disabilities.
The Lifetime Home highlights common barriers to safe and supportive aging in the home and features a range of home modifications and universal design features that can address them. Photographs from actual homes demonstrate how design and product changes can support independent living.
National Home Safety and Home Modification Work Group
This collaborative effort with the National Council on Aging (NCOA) engages key stakeholders at the national, state, and local levels to advance home safety and home modification policy, education, service delivery, and research.
Collaboration with the National Council on Aging
The National Council on Aging (NCOA) and the University of Southern California (USC) Leonard Davis School of Gerontology collaborate on a series of projects to feature home modification and home safety programs, assessment instruments, and funding sources to provide resources for families and professionals. These resources enable professionals and individuals to search for home modification programs in their area, obtain assessments to examine the home and make changes to increase safety and support, and learn about funding sources from a range of agencies and organizations to support home modification activities.
Collaboration with The Hartford Insurance: Center for Mature Market Excellence
Since 2010, the University of Southern California Leonard Davis School of Gerontology and The Hartford Center for Mature Market Excellence have worked together to conduct research, education, and training on universal design and home modification as part of older homeowner’s claim experience. The goals have been to increase consumers’ willingness to make changes to their home environment and to educate contractors on how to work with older clients. Outcomes have included consumer brochures, conference workshops, journal articles, and online training modules.