56 Winter 2010 Vol. 9 No 1 Original research Of particular concern with regards to popu- lation ageing are the economic and social costs of disability. Innovative approaches are needed to help older people live in- dependently for as long as possible. The environment in which activities necessary for independent living are performed (for instance, cooking and shopping) and the products used in this context play an im- portant role in the disablement process 1 . It is widely recognized by occupational therapy and rehabilitation research that redesigning the task environment to reduce the demands associated with daily activities can improve quality of life, while at the same time reduc- ing long-term care costs. This is because older people allocate much of their time to the performance of daily activities 2 , and the ability to perform them is closely related to the use of care services 3 . David Seidel MPhil Engineering Design Centre, University of Cambridge, UK E: djs216@cam.ac.uk Kathryn Richardson MSc Institute of Public Health, University of Cambridge, UK Carol Jagger PhD Institute for Ageing and Health, Newcastle University, UK Carol Brayne MD Institute of Public Health, University of Cambridge, UK P. John Clarkson PhD Engineering Design Centre, University of Cambridge, UK D. Seidel, K. Richardson, C. Jagger, C. Brayne, P.J. Clarkson. The potential im- pact of design changes for independent living in old age. Gerontechnology 2010; 9(1):56-61; doi:10.4017/gt.2010.09.01.006.00 We attempted to quantify the potential im- pact of design changes on the ability of older people to live independently, as deined by the performance of instrumental activities of daily living. Data from the Disability Follow-Up Survey were obtained for analysis, which recruited a sample of 3,710 participants aged 65 years or over from Great Britain. Participants completed a comprehensive interview on functional status in 1996/97. Adjusted attributable fractions were estimated from logistic regression models. Between 43% and 64% of the dificulties with instrumental activities of daily living were at- tributable to motor limitations. Activities performed outside the home (shopping) had less potential for improvement than activities performed within the home (cooking, housework, and laundering). The attributable fractions were greatest for housework in men and for cooking in women. Our estimates shed light on the potential impact of design changes on the ability of older people to perform activities necessary for independent living, and they are in line with what we ex- pected to ind based on the l iterature. Research on design and independent living in old age should be encouraged and expanded. Keywords: ageing in place, task environment, activity demand, motor ability The potential impact of design changes for independent living in old age