Home Evaluations
Home Safety Evaluations are an assessment of a patient’s home with the goal of increasing the safety of the home for the elderly person who resides there. It is an attempt to obtain the best “patient and environmental match” to help minimize the potential for patient injury while in the home.
In Addition:
An occupational therapist will visit and assess the home and patient, looking for conditions in the home that may be unsafe/less safe for the particular individual.. The findings of the evaluation are shared with the patient and family. The referring provider suggests changes to make the home safer.
Possible Safety Hazards may include the following:
- The kitchen can be fraught with hazards including the stove, slippery floors, high cabinets, low chairs, and trip hazards.
- The bathroom, another area where falls often happen, can have the following hazards, low toilet height, slippery floor, bath mat, no grab bars or bath bench, throw rugs, and dim lighting.
- The bedroom hazards include low bed height, throw rugs, dim lighting, thresholds, and low chair height.
- Walkways can even be hazardous when they include stairs, throw rugs, clutter, and dim lighting.
Who Can Benefit From A Safety Evaluation?
Patients who have losses in the areas of physical, cognitive, functional, and social support can benefit from a home safety assessment. A therapist from Therapy West, skilled in-home safety assessments will visit the patient’s home and assess the patient’s physical and cognitive state, as well as available social support, and identify risk for a possible “patient and environment mismatch.”
How Does A Home Safety Evaluation Get Ordered And Reimbursed?
A home safety evaluation must be ordered by your physician or primary provider. Payment is made to the home health care agency that contracts with Therapy West. Our therapists are then sent to the home to do the assessment.. Medicare part A is the primary payer for the service.
Incidence | Prevalence
The home environment remains increasingly important as people age. While only 5% of those over 65 live in institutions such as nursing homes and 95% live in the community, it is estimated that between 10% and 15% of community-dwelling elders require considerable support and assistance from others.
What Is “Aging In Place?”
Aging in place is the option for maturing adults to “age” in their home through the use of home modifications and therapy services to keep them safe as their functional abilities decrease.
Physical Therapy
- Health evaluation to help you set up goals for the long term
- Exercising at home to help with your strength and endurance
- Gait Training: training to help with your walking
- Help with your wheelchair, walker or cane
- Safety Measures
- Home adjustments to keep you safe
- Training for specific activities
Occupational Therapy
- Teaching techniques to save your energy
- Assistance with daily living tasks
- Home adjustments to keep you safe, especially for bathing, grooming, and dressing
- Techniques to help with a loss of function of the arm(s) or/and leg(s)
- Access to other activities as your disease progresses
Your Next Steps…
Request An Appointment
Receive A Custom Treatment Plan
Work Hard and Progress In Your Recovery
Recover & Enjoy Life Pain-Free!
