Glossary

What is Home safety assessment?

A home safety assessment is a room-by-room check of a house for the hazards dementia makes dangerous: stairs, stove, medications, water temperature, exits, lighting and trip hazards.

It can be done by an occupational therapist, a care manager, or a family using a checklist. The output is a list of changes, from removing rugs and adding night lights to stove shut-offs and door alarms.

Most changes are cheap; a few, like a stair lift or a walk-in shower, are not.

Why it matters

A fall or a fire is the commonest way a manageable situation at home becomes an unmanageable one.

Home safety assessment where you live

The local guide on this, for each city we cover.

Related terms

All terms