One reason I love my job...

One of my favorite (and I have many) reasons I love my job is because I get to go on home assessments. I get to take my patient to their home, in their own environment and assess accessibility, functionality, and patient independence within the space. I love the challenge of a home assessment because no two are never the same and you never know what you might find. The main purpose of a home assessment is to determine if the person will be able to function safely in their environment at their level of independence. This involves analyzing the entryway, all main living spaces including kitchen, living room, bedroom, etc. There are many aspects to a home assessment. For example, is the person able to get in/out of bed? is there enough space to maneuver with a cane/walker/wheelchair? can they can in/out of the bathtub or do they need adaptive equipment to complete the task safely? This often involves re-arranging furniture, recommending grab bars be installed or changing the way a task was completed in the past. Home assessments include a lot of education for the patient and the family to ensure that the patient will be able to return home safely. This can sometimes pose as a problem, because not everyone likes to be told they have to move a dresser or remove the throw rugs that they have had in the same spot for many years. Home assessments can also be a eye opener for both the patient and the family. Doing something simulated in the therapy gym is not the same as doing it at home and those 13 steps may be more of a challenge than the patient realized when completing them in the gym. I, however, love home assessments because I feel like I am able to provide people with the information and resources that they need to be able to age in place safely and make educated decisions on care for family members. I love the critical thinking aspect of my job that allows me to problem solve how to make a space accessible for a person so they will be able to return home safely.