The Cougar Home Safety Assessment for Older Persons aims to identify specific environmental safety hazards in the residences of older adults. The target population is older adults with risk of fall, using assistive devise for ambulation, or needing assistance with daily living skills such as bathing or shopping.
It is a 74-item home assessment tool, and the items are organized in ten sections: fire hazards/carbon monoxide, emergency/medical, electrical, flooring/hallways, kitchen, bedroom, bathroom(s), closets/storage areas, parking areas/entrances, and disaster preparedness.
It uses a three-point rating scale: safe, unsafe and not applicable.
It is completed by a health professional, often an occupational therapist. The housing quality indicators assessed include indoor air quality, air conditioning system, heating, lighting; and accessibility of the physical housing structures.
Health status and risk factors Disability, Functional decline, Fall risk
Age group Older Adults
Assessor Health professionals; occupational therapists
Sections / items 10 sections; 74 items
Self-administered No
Multi-component No
Indicators Fire hazards; electrical safety; flooring; accessibility; indoor air quality; air conditioning; heating; lighting
Evidence Level 3 - Quai-experimental study with no comparator
Authors Fisher, G., Burgess, B., DiMassimo, H., Florenzo, C., Hymers, B., et al.
Organizations Misericordia University, Dallas, Pennsylvania
Publication date 2019
Fisher, G., Burgess, B., DiMassimo, H., Florenzo, C., Hymers, B., Kuchta, K., & Natale, O. (2019). A best practice modification of the Cougar Home Safety Assessment. In M. University (Ed.), Unpublished manuscript. Dallas, PA.
Fisher, G., Cardillo, N., Chin, S., Derrick, E., & Zepherin, K. (2006). Cougar Home Safety Assessment Version 3.0 for community dwelling older adults: Evaluation, recommendation, and follow-up. In C. Misericordia (Ed.), Unpublished manuscript. Dallas, PA.
Fisher, G. S., Baker, A., Koval, D., Lishok, C., & Maisto, E. (2007). A field test of the Cougar Home Safety Assessment (version 2.0) in the homes of older persons living alone. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 54(2), 124-130. https://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1440-1630.2006.00604.x
Fisher, G. S., Bradley, E., Costulas, D., Kintner, L. L., Kozlevcar, J., Mahonski, K. M., McMenamin, K., Rompilla, A., Woods, J., & Stine, J. (2008). Home modification outcomes in the residences of older people as a result of Cougar Home Safety Assessment (Version 4.0) recommendations. Californian Journal of Health Promotion, 6(1), 87-110. https://doi.org/10.32398/cjhp.v6i1.1295
Fisher, G. S., Coolbaugh, K., & Rhodes, C. (2006). A field test of the Cougar Home Safety Assessment for older persons Version 1.0. Californian Journal of Health Promotion, 4(2), 181-196. https://doi.org/10.32398/cjhp.v4i2.1944