Occupational therapy plays a key role in identifying strategies that enable individuals to modify their homes, thereby maximizing their ability to participate in daily tasks/activities. Occupational therapy practitioners are skilled at recognizing how the environment affects the ability to perform desired occupations. An occupational therapist evaluates balance, coordination, endurance, safety awareness, strength, attention, problem-solving, vision, communication, and many other functions while the individual performs daily tasks. In addition to the individual’s performance abilities, occupational therapists also evaluate the home environment to identify barriers to performance. For instance, features can be identified that increase the risk of falls (e.g., loose banisters). Occupational therapists also review aspects of the home that may require modification to facilitate performance. For example, secure upper-body supports such as handrails or grab bars can assist someone who has difficulty balancing during functional mobility and self-care activities. As part of the evaluation, occupational therapists analyze how a person interacts with the environment to complete a task or activity. Through this process, modifications and intervention strategies are selected to improve the fit between these elements, with a goal of maximizing safety and independence in the home. The intervention plan may include but is not limited to strategies such as adaptive equipment, lighting, family caregiver training, or remodeling.
