Tag: occupational-therapy
-
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…
-
Home Modifications: A Powerful Tool for Wellness Across the Lifespan
When we think about health and wellness, we often focus on exercise, nutrition, and medical care. But there’s a critical factor that many overlook: the environment where we live. A groundbreaking systematic review published in the American Journal of Occupational Therapy (February 2026) reveals that home modifications—when thoughtfully designed and professionally implemented—are far more than safety measures.…
-
Accessible Home Modification and Impacts: Understanding the Client Experience to Enhance OT Practice
When occupational therapists recommend home modifications, we often focus on the functional outcomes—improved safety, enhanced independence, reduced fall risk. But what happens after we make our recommendations? A groundbreaking qualitative study published in the March 2026 issue of the American Journal of Occupational Therapy provides crucial insights into what clients actually experience when navigating the home modification…
-
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…
-
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…
-
Integrating Mobility Technology Trends into Home Assessments
As occupational therapists specializing in home modifications and accessibility, staying current with mobility equipment advances is essential for providing comprehensive assessments. The mobility technology landscape is experiencing rapid transformation, with artificial intelligence, advanced materials, and smart sensor systems fundamentally changing what’s possible for users—and what therapists need to consider during home evaluations. The Evidence for…
-
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…
-
Outdoor Spaces That Support Living Well: An Emerging Trend in Home Accessibility
When designing a true “forever home,” most occupational therapists focus their expertise on bathrooms, kitchens, and interior mobility. But there’s a critical gap in home modification practice that’s gaining attention in 2026: outdoor accessibility. While conversations about aging-in-place modifications are common for interior spaces, guidance for outdoor environments remains far less accessible. Yet research shows that…
-
Beyond the One-and-Done: Why Home Modifications Require Ongoing Occupational Therapy Expertise
Prefer to listen to Sue talk about this article? Listen to the podcast episode now! I hear it all the time: “Sue, I’m burned out from traditional therapy. I just want to do home modification assessments—go in, evaluate, make recommendations, and move on to the next client.” I understand the appeal. After years of grinding…