Tag: fitness
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The History of Occupational Therapy’s Role in Home Modifications and Home Safety Assessment
Occupational therapy has always been rooted in one fundamental belief: that people deserve to live, work , and participate in meaningful activities or occupations within environments that support- not hinder- their independence. Nowhere is this more evident than in the practice of home modifications and home safety assessments. As we celebrate OT Month this April…
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The Growing Demand for OT in Home Safety: A Landscape of Opportunity
April is Occupational Therapy Month, and there has never been a more compelling moment to spotlight how dramatically the landscape of home safety practice is expanding. From new Medicare policy, to federal grant programs, to bipartisan falls prevention legislation, to a workforce increasingly choosing community-based and private practice settings — the stars are aligning for…
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From Evidence to Opportunity: OT‑Led Home Modifications for Aging in Place
Celebrating OT Month with a Look at the Latest Evidence — and What It Means for Your Practice Every April, Occupational Therapy Month invites us to pause, reflect, and celebrate the unique value our profession brings to individuals, families, and communities. This year, as we honor over a century of OT practice, a timely 2025…
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Smart Home Technology: The Game-Changer for Aging in Place
As the spring home modification season approaches, occupational and physical therapy professionals are increasingly integrating smart home technology into their practice. Recent research indicates that three-fourths of consumers are open to using smart home technology to age safely in place (McKnight’s Senior Living, 2025), and the Association for Smarter Homes & Buildings has identified technology-assisted…
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Toolbox Tips: Kitchen Fire Safety Assessment: The Fire Avert Solution for Aging-in-Place Clients
When conducting home safety evaluations, the kitchen presents one of the most critical—and challenging—risk areas to assess. As occupational and physical therapists, we’re often caught between supporting our clients’ independence and addressing legitimate safety concerns raised by families and caregivers. The statistics demand our attention: adults over 65 face 2.5 times greater risk of dying…
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New Research Proves What We’ve Been Saying: Home Modifications Work—Even on a Budget
If you’ve ever wondered whether home modification programs actually deliver measurable results for older adults in underserved communities, a groundbreaking study just gave us the answer: Yes, they absolutely do. The Older Adult Home Modification Program (OAHMP) study, published in the American Journal of Occupational Therapy in March 2025, evaluated an interprofessional home modification program serving 65 low-income…
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Bridging the Gap: What Recent Research Reveals About the Future of Home Modifications for Aging in Place
As occupational therapists, we know that home modifications can be transformative for our clients. But what does the latest research tell us about where we’re succeeding—and where we need to grow? A comprehensive systematic review published in March 2025 examined 20 studies on home modifications for aging in place, revealing both encouraging evidence and critical…
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Why Your Best Home Modification Recommendations Get Ignored (And How to Change That)
You walk into Mrs. Johnson’s bathroom and immediately spot the problem. The tub is dangerously high, there’s no grab bar, and she’s already had two near-falls this month. You know exactly what she needs—a simple modification that could prevent a life-changing injury . But when you make the recommendation, she shakes her head. “I don’t…
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The Value of Occupational Therapy in the Home Environment: Educating Families and Referral Sources During National Home Care Month
November is National Home Care and Hospice Month, making it an ideal time to educate referral sources and families about the unique value occupational therapists bring to home-based practice. Home-based OT provides assessment and intervention advantages impossible to replicate in clinic settings, yet many potential clients and referral sources don’t fully understand these benefits. The Clinical…
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Assessing and Modifying Homes for Clients with Diabetes: A Fall Prevention Guide for Therapists
As occupational therapists specializing in home modifications, understanding the diabetes-fall connection is essential for comprehensive client assessment and intervention planning. Clients with diabetes face twice the fall risk compared to those without diabetes, making our role in environmental assessment and modification critical to their safety and independence. Clinical Assessment of Diabetes-Related Fall Risk Factors During home evaluations,…
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