Stroke survivors and their families must prepare for many changes as they plan to leave the hospital and return to a home environment. An occupational therapist (OT) or other health professional can assist by performing a careful survey of the home environment -- this is often called a "home assessment." Internet Stroke Center writer Laura Butler takes you through a typical home assessment to show what is involved in this process and how it can help you.

What is a home assessment?

To answer this question, we visited with Julie Westre, OT, Program Director for the Washington University's Stroke Caregiver Support Program. Julie says most of her recommendations are common sense -- they are most often safety issues that the caregivers and patients may not have considered. “Preventing falls is very important,” she explained. Simple solutions such as adding lighting, removing floor clutter, and improving shower entry can make a big difference. Julie finds that patients often need reminders to take their time getting up and to always use their assistive devices (such as walkers or canes) around the house.

Although the Stroke Caregiver Support Program is unique to the St. Louis community, Julie recommends that stroke survivors and caregivers talk to their hospital, doctor, or local stroke advocacy group to find out about similar programs in their area. If you are ineligible for such a program, she suggests that before returning home, you take time to consider your everyday activities in order to come up with possible solutions for potential problem areas before they occur. Julie emphasizes the importance of emergency phone number postings throughout the home as well as a specific plan to have people check in with you regularly to help with unexpected concerns or problems. She also suggests coming up with a safety checklist before returning home. Health professionals, friends, and family members can all be involved in this planning process. In addition, the support of friends and family can help alleviate stress by doing things such as running errands, helping with cleaning, encouraging rehabilitation activities and supporting therapists’ training, as well as communicating with friends and family to help to delegate responsibilities if possible, depending on the severity of the situation.

Julie was kind enough to allow me to go on a couple of home visits with her to learn what she does and to talk to some of her clients about their experiences. Read more about this visit.