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Maximizing Independence: How a Home Assessment Can Help You Thrive After Short-Term Rehabilitation

Senior being helped by healthcare professional

Recovery and getting back to the life you enjoy after a major surgery, stroke or illness can be a challenge. If you have trouble with activities of daily living including getting dressed, eating or grooming, your doctor may recommend short-term rehabilitation as part of your discharge planning. Once your rehabilitation concludes, research shows that a home assessment is a vital part of your recovery and helping you stay healthy. Falls are the number one cause of serious injury, but older adults who received a home assessment visit prior to being discharged, were 32% less likely to fall.  

Who Conducts a Home Assessment?

Your occupational therapist would be the one to visit and evaluate your home. That’s because a part of occupational therapy is determining what home modifications and adaptive equipment is needed to help you resume living an independent or semi-independent lifestyle. 

Occupational Therapy Evaluation

Before beginning any rehabilitative therapy, you’ll be evaluated before creating a personalized recovery plan. Here are the essential elements of your evaluation: 

  • Initial interview: This is a conversation about your medical history, current concerns and personal goals. It’s an opportunity to understand your perspective and to hear what you hope to achieve through therapy. 
  • Observation: The therapist will observe in real time to check your ability to do the activities of daily living, your fine and gross motor skills, cognitive function, social interaction and communication skills to assess your abilities, challenges and strategies.  
  • Standardized assessments: Using various standardized assessment tools, your occupational therapist will objectively measure different aspects of your ability to do various activities. These tools provide valuable data that can be used to track your progress over time and compare your results to normative data.  

What is a Home Assessment?

A crucial component of the evaluation process listed above is a home assessment. It looks at how you do in your home and identifies potential barriers to your independence as well as examining any home safety concerns. The occupational therapist provides a detailed report outlining their findings and recommendations which may include: 

  • Home modifications: A list of suggested changes to your home environment, like adding grab bars or ramps. 
  • Adaptive equipment: Recommending devices like shower chairs or reaching aids along with other assistive technology. 
  • Rearrangement suggestions: Your occupational therapist will offer suggestions on where to place your furniture to improve safety, help with mobility issues and reduce your fall risk. 
  • Behavioral strategies: Establishing techniques to help you perform daily tasks more safely and efficiently. 
  • Fall prevention programs: Creating a customized therapy to help reduce your risk of falling including strength and balance exercises as well as education on fall hazards. 

Discover the Freedom to Live Life Your Way

Freedom Square of Seminole offers award-winning care in our health care center, including a National Joint Commission Seal of Approval for our short-term rehabilitation. To learn more about how our personalized care is designed to get you back to the life you love, give us a call, use our Community Assistant chat feature or contact us here.