Home Safety Assessment

Why Are Home Assessments Necessary?

At your home assessment, your Occupational Therapist will:

See if you’re able to get home safely. Are there stairs involved? Are the doors wide enough?
Advise about obvious dangers like exposed wires that you may not be aware of.
See if you’re able to manage household tasks such as getting in and out of bed.
Suggest equipment that might be helpful such as a raised toilet seat.
See if you need additional help from a carer.

How Long Will a Home Assessment Take?

Home assessments are rather brief and shouldn’t take longer than an 1-2 hours. Still, you’ll want to set aside enough time so that your Occupational Therapist can get a clear idea of how you’ll manage in your home from here on out.

Aging in Place:

Most seniors would rather stay in their own homes than move to a nursing home. According to the AARP, 90 percent of people over 65 want to remain at home as long as possible, and 80 percent believe they will always live at their current home.

But that means making sure your home fits you. As people age, they often suffer from poor mobility or health problems that make it hard to stay. For instance, they may have trouble making it up and down the stairs, or caring for a large yard. Eventually, poor health may force you to leave your home and go elsewhere.

Remaining at home takes planning and effort. There are certain changes, both large and small, that you can make right now to make sure your home will fit your needs for years to come.