Is your aging parent safe at home?
You want to respect their wishes and promote independence, but you also need to know they are safe and well.
Even in the best of circumstances, conversations about future independence can be tricky to navigate.
And supporting your parents while caring for your own children can be incredibly isolating and difficult.
As clinicians, we see too many hospital and rehab patients forced out of their homes and into long-term care facilities due to inaccessible or unsafe home environments.
We help families plan ahead so their loved ones can thrive in their home and community.
Our Process
Pick a Time
Schedule an appointment time, pay a deposit, and fill out a short questionnaire with photos and measurements of your living spaces using just your smart phone and a tape measurer.
Complete this questionnaire within 48 hours of your scheduled appointment to ensure we have ample time to complete your personalized home safety assessment.
The Appointment
Log onto Google Meet five minutes before the start of your appointment. We will go through your personalized assessment with you, present recommendations customized to you and answer any specific questions you may have.
Caregivers and loved ones are all welcome to attend the meeting and ask questions.
By the end of the meeting, you will be sent your finalized assessment via email, including a short punch-list of items to purchase or have installed to maximize safety in the home. The list is able to be prioritized based on safety, time and cost.
Follow up
After your appointment, you will receive an email with a link to schedule your follow-up meeting approximately four to eight weeks out. This time frame will give you a chance to implement and experience living with the recommended changes. It will also provide structure and support for you during implementation.
At your follow-up meeting, we will discuss the changes you have implemented and talk through any additional adjustments needed to optimize health and safety in your daily activities. We can also answer any additional questions or concerns that have arisen since the initial assessment.
You will be sent an invoice for the balance of your assessment. Payment plans are available and invoices are able to be split between multiple parties (i.e. a sibling group).
Additional support
Additional support is available after this follow-up meeting via email for two weeks. Following this, you can schedule additional check-ins as needed for $200 per meeting.
Universal Design with COMMUNITY in Mind
Benefits
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Expert guidance
Access to a licensed Occupational Therapist who is also a Certified Aging in Place Specialist means you and your loved ones get access to a medical professional who is an expert in home safety and accessibility.
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Confidence
Avoid costly mistakes and know the changes you make will be done right…the first time. We have experience working with contractors and handymen to ensure updates are done to the proper medical specifications for your unique situation.
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Find Funding
Our experts have knowledge of tax incentive programs and loan options to help fund your project.
Payment plans are available as we strive to be as financially accessible as possible.
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Collaborative Approach
We connect with you and your loved ones and caregivers to develop project scope and plans to maximize safety and access for the long term.
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Fill Gaps in Healthcare
We perform a medical, functional assessment of you or your loved one at home. We identify gaps in your healthcare plan and guide you to common community resources you can access to promote quality of life in your home and community.
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Ongoing Support
After modifications are made, we reassess your daily function at home and provide personalized training to maximize independence and quality of life. Additional check-ins as needed are available to support you.
FAQs
Who is this service for?
This service is perfect for you if…
You are planning ahead for future independence
You have chronic, acute health needs
Your loved one is returning from a hospital or rehab stay
You are a proactive caregiver wanting to plan ahead.
What kinds of conditions or health concerns do you work with?
We commonly work with patients who have experienced stroke, paralysis, mobility impairment, vision loss, dementia, spinal cord injuries, MS and many other health concerns.
Do you do in-person assessments?
The pandemic forced our home safety assessments to go online, but we've actually found this to be overwhelmingly positive for clients, and so they are here to stay! 👏
A virtual assessment gives clients more ownership of the process, allows for more participation from far-flung family members and loved ones, and it maintains a sense of privacy in the home for the client.
Our virtual home safety assessments allow a medical evaluation of your loved one in the safety and comfort of their own home.
Who needs to be present for an assessment?
We encourage anyone who wants to be there to attend virtually! It’s especially helpful to include key members of your decision-making team, caregivers and your loved one who is aging in place.
My parent won’t admit they need support. What now?
First of all, you’re not alone! Even in the best of circumstances, conversations about safety and the future can be tricky to bring up.
We are skilled and comfortable navigating tough conversations between family members.
Our experience in acute and sub-acute rehab settings has given us lots of experience facilitating difficult conversations.
My parent would never agree to an evaluation. Can you still help?
We should definitely still chat! There are ways to broach these conversations that can be more helpful than others.
The assessment itself utilizes information from caregivers, measurements and photos of living spaces, so if you have permission and access to these things, it’s also possible we could support you as the responsible party without directly involving your aging parent (though of course it’s always preferred to have everyone on the same page!).