Thriving, or just surviving? A grounded theory study of perspectives on value for money in home modifications

 Back to Project

Published 6th June 2025

Home modification funding schemes require that home modifications demonstrate value for money; yet there is currently a lack of clarity on definitions and metrics for determining value. This paper reports on the second phase of a study exploring how concepts of value and value for money are defined and operationalised in Australian home modification practice. While the first phase considered the perspectives of occupational therapists, this paper explores the perspectives of the people who undertake home modifications. Constructivist grounded theory data analysis revealed a continuum of values that individuals prioritised in the home modification outcomes, and various factors that enabled or hindered the home modification process.

The resulting Survive-Strive-Thrive framework is a synthesis of these values and factors. The findings have implications for policy and practice, and the framework can be used as a tool to support best practice in person-centred home modification.

Points of Interest

• Organizations that pay for home modifications want to ensure they get good value
  for their money, but it is not clear how to show this.
• In this study, people undertaking modifications of their home were asked to describe
  what value for money meant to them.
• The ‘Survive-Strive-Thrive’ framework was created from the findings.
• This framework outlines what people value when undertaking home modifications
  and factors that either improve or worsen the home modification process.

Citation

Coral Gillett, Connie Allen, Annie Rolfe, Grace Bitner, Tamara Ownsworth & Louise Gustafsson (16 May 2025): Thriving, or just surviving? A grounded theory study of perspectives on value for money in home modifications, Disability & Society.

Authors

Tamara Ownsworth

Professor

Louise Gustafsson

Professor

Grace Bitner

Coral Gillett