Home Environmental Risks and Caregiver Awareness
High Prevalence But Low Awareness of Environmental Risks in Home Care: A Cross-Sectional Study
This cross-sectional study aimed to assess home environmental risks and caregiver awareness among individuals receiving home healthcare services. It also examined factors associated with caregivers' awareness of these risks.
The main questions addressed in this study were:
- How common were environmental risks in home care settings?
- To what extent were caregivers aware of these risks?
- Which factors were associated with caregiver awareness of home environmental risks? Participants receiving home healthcare services and their caregivers were evaluated during routine home visits. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews using a structured questionnaire and a home environmental risk checklist.
Study Overview
Status
Status
Conditions
Conditions
Intervention / Treatment
Intervention / Treatment
Detailed Description
This cross-sectional study was conducted to evaluate home environmental risks and caregiver awareness among individuals receiving home healthcare services. Home care settings represent a complex care environment in which patient safety may be compromised by various environmental hazards. Despite the high prevalence of such risks, caregiver awareness and recognition remain limited, which may affect the safety and quality of care delivered in home settings.
The study population consisted of patients who applied to home healthcare services affiliated with a public hospital in Istanbul between January 20 and March 1, 2026, and their caregivers. Participants were evaluated during routine home visits.
Data were collected through face-to-face interviews using a structured questionnaire and a home environmental risk checklist developed based on existing home safety recommendations. The checklist was used to identify potential environmental hazards within the home setting. In addition, caregivers' awareness of these risks and their perceptions regarding the modifiability of risks were assessed.
Home environmental risks were categorized according to their level of modifiability as easy, moderate, or difficult, based on the type of intervention required. Caregiver-related factors, including prior information, caregiving experience, and sociodemographic characteristics, were also recorded.
The study aimed to describe the frequency of home environmental risks, assess the level of caregiver awareness, and examine factors associated with awareness. In addition, perceived barriers to risk mitigation, such as financial constraints and unsuitable housing conditions, were evaluated to better understand the structural challenges affecting home safety.
Study Type
Study Type
Enrollment (Actual)
Enrollment
Contacts and Locations
Study Locations
-
-
Maltepe
-
Istanbul, Maltepe, Turkey (Türkiye)
- Marmara University School of Medicine
-
-
Participation Criteria
Eligibility Criteria
Eligibility Criteria
Ages Eligible for Study
- Child
- Adult
- Older Adult
Accepts Healthy Volunteers
Sampling Method
Study Population
Description
Inclusion Criteria:
- Caregivers of individuals receiving home healthcare services during the study period
- Caregivers who were present during routine home visits
- Caregivers who agreed to participate and provided informed responses
- Caregivers without communication barriers (e.g., language-related difficulties)
Exclusion Criteria:
- Caregivers in households where an acute medical condition requiring urgent intervention was present at the time of the visit
- Caregivers who declined to participate or were unable to complete the assessment
Study Plan
How is the study designed?
Design Details
Number of groups / cohorts
Cohorts and Interventions
Group / CohortGroup / Cohort |
Intervention / TreatmentIntervention / Treatment |
|---|---|
|
Caregivers in Home Healthcare Settings
Caregivers of individuals receiving home healthcare services, providing information on home environmental risks and awareness during routine home visits.
|
No intervention was administered.
This observational study involved the assessment of home environmental risks and caregiver awareness during routine home healthcare visits.
|
What is the study measuring?
Primary Outcome Measures
Primary Outcome Measures
Outcome Measure |
Measure Description |
Time Frame |
|---|---|---|
|
Presence of home environmental risks
Time Frame: baseline
|
The proportion of households with at least one identified environmental risk, including fall-related hazards (slippery floors, inadequate lighting, clutter), risks related to medical device use, and structural safety problems within the home environment, assessed using a structured home safety checklist.
|
baseline
|
Secondary Outcome Measures
Secondary Outcome Measures
Outcome Measure |
Measure Description |
Time Frame |
|---|---|---|
|
Caregiver awareness of home environmental risks
Time Frame: baseline
|
The proportion of caregivers who correctly reported the presence of environmental risks in the home, based on comparison with risks identified through the structured home safety checklist.
|
baseline
|
|
Barriers to addressing home environmental risks
Time Frame: baseline
|
Caregiver-reported barriers to addressing environmental risks in the home, including financial constraints, unsuitable housing conditions, and other perceived limitations.
|
baseline
|
Collaborators and Investigators
Sponsor
Sponsor
Publications and helpful links
General Publications
- Lindberg C, Fock J, Nilsen P, Schildmeijer K. Registered nurses' efforts to ensure safety for home-dwelling older patients. Scand J Caring Sci. 2023 Jun;37(2):571-581. doi: 10.1111/scs.13142. Epub 2022 Dec 29.
- Lekman J, Linden E, Ekstedt M. The challenge of risk prevention in home healthcare-An interview study with nurses in municipal care. Scand J Caring Sci. 2023 Dec;37(4):1067-1078. doi: 10.1111/scs.13181. Epub 2023 May 24.
- Russell D, Dowding D, Trifilio M, McDonald MV, Song J, Adams V, Ojo MI, Perry EK, Shang J. Individual, social, and environmental factors for infection risk among home healthcare patients: A multi-method study. Health Soc Care Community. 2021 May;29(3):780-788. doi: 10.1111/hsc.13321. Epub 2021 Feb 19.
- Rouhi M, Linden T, Doherty D, Prior SJ. Environmental Risk Assessment in Community Care: A Scoping Review. Healthcare (Basel). 2024 Apr 19;12(8):859. doi: 10.3390/healthcare12080859.
Study record dates
Study Major Dates
Study Start (Actual)
Study Start
Primary Completion (Actual)
Primary Completion
Study Completion (Actual)
Study Completion
Study Registration Dates
First Submitted
First Submitted
First Submitted That Met QC Criteria
First Submitted That Met QC Criteria
First Posted (Actual)
First Posted
Study Record Updates
Last Update Posted (Actual)
Last Update Posted
Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria
Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria
Last Verified
Last Verified
More Information
Terms related to this study
Additional Relevant MeSH Terms
Other Study ID Numbers
Other Study ID Numbers
- 09.2026.26-0025
Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)
Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?
IPD Plan Description
Drug and device information, study documents
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product
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