OAHMP Grantee Session: Fall Prevention and Client Considerations

This session will discuss the issue of falls among older adults and how to reduce falls risks in the home through home modification. Effective home assessments look at both the client and their home environment to identify supports to add, fall hazards to remove, and behavior changes. Home modifications can reduce the risk of falls and increase a person's independence, but it is important to go beyond structural considerations to identify and address each individual's needs, concerns, and cultural considerations. Clients need to understand why the modifications are being installed, how to properly use them, and have follow up to ensure that the home modifications are meeting their needs. Occupational therapists are health professionals that assess how a person interacts with their home environment when conducting daily activities. They provide home modification recommendations that address clients' current and future health needs and educate clients on how to properly use modifications. Join this session to learn about common falls risk factors, how home modification can address them to support aging in place, and the importance of engaging an occupational therapist in the home modification process to identify and address each client's individual needs.