S1E13: Office Hours | Getting Started in Home Mods Part 3

S1E15: Blog-to-Audio | Seeing Safely: Aging Eyes, Cataracts, and Home Safety for OTs and PTs

Summary This episode is an audio version of our blog on “seeing safely” with aging eyes. Sue Doyle, PhD, OTR/L walks through how age-related vision changes and cataracts interact with real-world home environments so you can incorporate lighting, contrast, and clutter-focused modifications into your assessments and reduce fall risk in a practical, low-cost way. In this episode, we cover: * What actually happens to vision with aging and cataracts—reduced contrast sensitivity, increased glare, slower light adaptation, and hazier vision—and why beige-on-beige environments, shiny floors, and inconsistent lighting can turn otherwise strong, balanced older adults into high fall-risk clients. * Evidence-informed principles for “seeing safely,” including prioritizing even, glare-free lighting along key paths, using contrast strategically on stairs, grab bars, and switches, simplifying visual clutter, and making important safety features visually louder than background distractions. * Room-by-room strategies for entries, hallways, stairs, bathrooms, bedrooms, and kitchens that you can plug directly into your next evaluation—plus a quick clinical vision-and-environment checklist to help you systematically capture vision-related risks rather than treating falls as only a strength or balance problem. Read the full blog and see visuals: * Read the article: https://thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.blog/2026/06/03/seeing-safely-at-home-aging-eyes-cataracts-and-evidence-informed-home-modifications/ [https://thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.blog/2026/06/03/seeing-safely-at-home-aging-eyes-cataracts-and-evidence-informed-home-modifications/] * View any photos, diagrams, or checklists mentioned in this episode on the blog. Related trainings and courses: * Certified Home Accessibility Therapist (CHAT): https://www.thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.com/CHAT [https://www.thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.com/CHAT] * Disaster Preparedness, Response, and Recovery: A role for OT  https://www.thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.com/Disastercourse [https://www.thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.com/Disastercourse] * All Courses: https://www.thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.com/courses [https://www.thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.com/courses] Stay connected: * Website: https://www.thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.com/ [https://www.thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.com/] * Blog: https://thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.blog/ [https://thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.blog/] * Join the newsletter: https://www.thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.com/Newsletter [https://www.thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.com/Newsletter] * Join  our Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/homeaccessibilitysafety [https://www.facebook.com/groups/homeaccessibilitysafety] * Follow on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/susan-doyle-38bba3178 [http://www.linkedin.com/in/susan-doyle-38bba3178]

S1E14: Therapist Thursday | Martha Pack on Turning Home Health Insight into an Aging-in-Place Home Modifications Practice

Summary In this Therapist Thursday episode, Sue Doyle, PhD, OTR/L talks with Martha Pack, an occupational therapist and CHAT trained home modifications specialist based in Knoxville, about building a business focused on aging in place and caregiver support. Martha shares how her years in nearly every OT setting, combined with home health experience during COVID, led her to create a dedicated home mods practice that tailors environments for older adults in private homes and senior living communities. What you’ll learn in this episode: How Martha’s journey through school systems, hospitals, outpatient rehab, skilled nursing, and finally home health sparked her passion for home modifications, including the “aha” moment of simply repositioning a suction grab bar and realizing the impact of placement, design, and true accessibility. Practical strategies she uses now, from acting as the communication bridge between clients and contractors, to providing caregiver education, planning for the “journey of aging,” and using grant-funded programs to create affordable, customized aging-in-place solutions in both private homes and facilities. Business and networking insights on moving from “side hustle” to full business, deepening her expertise through, CHAT, CAPS, ECHM, and leveraging in-person networking and senior resource groups, and partnering on county grants like OAHMP to grow a sustainable practice while retaining the autonomy she wouldn’t trade to return to traditional employment. Guest details and links: * Martha Pack * Website: adaptandstay.com [https://www.linkedin.com/safety/go/?url=www.adaptandstay.com&urlhash=Jq2W&isSdui=true&lipi=urn%3Ali%3Apage%3Ad_flagship3_profile_view_base_contact_details%3BQD5GPe%2FfSE6C753%2BgSNM2g%3D%3D] * LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/martha-pack-otr-l-cdp-caps-echm-chat-drs-5a4501123 [https://www.linkedin.com/in/martha-pack-otr-l-cdp-caps-echm-chat-drs-5a4501123/?lipi=urn%3Ali%3Apage%3Ad_flagship3_profile_view_base_contact_details%3BQD5GPe%2FfSE6C753%2BgSNM2g%3D%3D] Resources mentioned: * Certified Home Accessibility Therapist (CHAT): https://www.thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.com/CHAT [https://www.thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.com/CHAT] * All Courses: https://www.thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.com/courses [https://www.thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.com/courses] Connect with The Home Accessibility Therapist: * Website: https://www.thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.com/ [https://www.thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.com/] * Blog: https://thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.blog/ [https://thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.blog/] * Join the newsletter: https://www.thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.com/Newsletter [https://www.thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.com/Newsletter] * Join  our Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/homeaccessibilitysafety [https://www.facebook.com/groups/homeaccessibilitysafety] * Follow on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/susan-doyle-38bba3178 [http://www.linkedin.com/in/susan-doyle-38bba3178]

S1E13: Office Hours | Getting Started in Home Mods Part 3

Summary In this office hours episode, Sue Doyle, PhD, OTR/L, unpacks how Medicare and reimbursement really work when you’re providing home safety and home modification services. She explains what counts as medical necessity, when you can and cannot bill, and how to protect both your clients and your practice while still offering valuable cash-based options. Questions answered in this episode: When is a home safety or home modification assessment considered medically necessary and covered, and when is it purely aging-in-place or preventative and not covered? How do Medicare rules like mandatory claim submission, fall-risk guidelines, and quality measures (such as MIPS 154 and 155) affect what you can bill for and how you document your services? What do therapists need to know to ethically offer cash-based home mods, set clear policies, and distinguish covered from non-covered services in day-to-day practice? Mentioned resources and links: * Certified Home Accessibility Therapist (CHAT): https://www.thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.com/CHAT [https://www.thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.com/CHAT] * Courses & Memberships:  https://www.thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.com/courses [https://www.thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.com/courses] * Any handouts, checklists, or blog posts referenced:  Submit a question for a future episode: * Use the question form here: https://www.thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.com/SubmitQuestion [https://www.thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.com/SubmitQuestion] * Or email your question to: sue@thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.com Connect with The Home Accessibility Therapist: * Website: https://www.thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.com/ [https://www.thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.com/] * Blog: https://thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.blog/ [https://thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.blog/] * Join the newsletter: https://www.thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.com/Newsletter [https://www.thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.com/Newsletter] * Join  our Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/homeaccessibilitysafety [https://www.facebook.com/groups/homeaccessibilitysafety] * Follow on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/susan-doyle-38bba3178 [http://www.linkedin.com/in/susan-doyle-38bba3178]

S1E12: Blog-to-Audio | When the Power Goes Out: Disaster Planning for Clients With Electricity-Dependent Equipment

Summary This episode is an audio version of our blog, “When the Power Goes Out: Disaster Planning for Clients With Electricity-Dependent Equipment.” Sue Doyle, PhD, OTR/L walks through how power outages turn from inconvenience to crisis for clients who rely on powered medical equipment, so you can systematically build outage planning into your OT assessments and protect function, safety, and life. In this episode, we cover: * Why clients who depend on powered equipment (ventilators, oxygen concentrators, power wheelchairs, lifts, hospital beds, smart home systems) are among the most vulnerable in disasters, and why standard emergency checklists are not enough. * Five practical OT actions you can start using immediately: creating a detailed equipment inventory, connecting clients to utility life-support registries, developing written power-failure protocols, ensuring and practicing manual mobility options, and rehearsing evacuation or backup routines before a crisis. https://ppl-ai-file-upload.s3.amazonaws.com/web/direct-files/attachments/21591240/74d72002-89de-4e18-b73f-02eff89d2cf0/Blog-to-Audio-When-the-power-goes-out-vtt.vtt?AWSAccessKeyId=ASIA2F3EMEYESAP7AGLI&Signature=cBT3r2UqNn9Be%2BwCv%2BEjnOZGVXw%3D&x-amz-security-token=IQoJb3JpZ2luX2VjEAUaCXVzLWVhc3QtMSJHMEUCIQD6iRncsIR%2F86%2BgQuZDjihL0XcnKr1X3ZJwzQZO%2BKjj%2BgIgYuR%2FI6cxuitfZtV5ozT2IoieBoIRfsFaVGqtVKMeBRAq%2FAQIzv%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2FARABGgw2OTk3NTMzMDk3MDUiDM1BM8ORUU5v9x2lTSrQBDuxaJSVwu%2BcLMpEVUX9%2FOaTuDC0ExF2TtCJutZjiR%2FCtYvOojIAkn%2BwrRMAbWmFWF%2Bp95H5C4P067VAArr9v5%2FwegdNvn2a%2Bg8rLNEvoTJfbx0AEvtVMHz%2FQ2TYZt2AJCbafKxPArIA%2FqSyuTwczHlaxcl%2F3ptT0757GGuccxpdli509kTceoud6MwVv7MajcX1sjpMmrxyaZBv%2F7lNubCVs%2F0CUczXvYHN7SmC3xcCSRX8Jx4fBMGTA%2Bof4Sv114CCr%2BhLQtlLC9qciODt7Sj4QrSHNGBz1HbmAt1n62azyuT%2FOik107pCf3Dfn6%2BUPx2dsxkiKeIeS94%2FuLeO%2BqfvqwQjw%2B0ueyfqh0Y8vLkFcP%2BS%2FjY%2BtARgDt%2BNxrlpRFiN4FwIt%2FSDvmVP5OVzumK%2FvNMwHeAa8EmRuritNU31ypp5Zy9WzYVwb1ZR6ViI2UBoL9U12nmZCSVqsIUwOWOVt23%2FkOff%2FBwjo%2FgWsK%2BoJrg6Kqflwt%2BjA5gl5jSoKB%2FZnMqe4Um49OUrSyPKCmWChIVKR6HOnK050pj0jpldtCKrFS4hu1RFuX0DMF%2FpJ%2BJ8fn6kw4f1HejoDZv0V6JpOHkuesl7pb1Mw0GNDs28j8vLr%2Fyd4Z8Z7iG6l%2F7ZSMPypevWV%2FyyOGXb7T4VxhrxHjgX64BcdzBKP8vHN92xlYEFtDGhGlESaQrZvJ4KIKCqXNgc32zy4zKs505P2g2WurxZO%2FtVMjuQhT%2BN7cMgaLg%2BVD9fFDqLMkjWQWM%2Bj3EOuI6cWXeDtOseYhjVdvAw%2FOrn0AY6mAFl7yZttRZ5oGz5uKySH0Ry3KXZ%2BzyeG6gLBhYUwlIQ2iqy9YO0HGsFAy5esEuGfZquNScRiOC4t5vhyJqZVx5Er%2Brc%2BSNjYvyzAzdcE983thCtJw3NvuXQd7GMn70OXyoT6Ewo6UX42MEcjV7SqzRXL6GMaNRX8FT76O%2B89RM%2FJNROSXwFk30kFhQxMGbnZIF7EvQX1E%2BM7A%3D%3D&Expires=1780087781 * How to think through the “cascade effect” of outages—elevators, doors, smart home controls, medication dispensers, and communication devices failing in sequence—and how OTs can respond both at the individual home level and by advocating for system-wide preparedness in agencies, shelters, and discharge planning. Read the full blog and see visuals: * Read the article: https://thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.blog/2026/05/29/when-the-power-goes-out-ots-critical-role-in-emergency-planning-for-clients-with-medical-equipment/ [https://thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.blog/2026/05/29/when-the-power-goes-out-ots-critical-role-in-emergency-planning-for-clients-with-medical-equipment/] * View any photos, diagrams, or checklists mentioned in this episode on the blog. Related trainings and courses: * Certified Home Accessibility Therapist (CHAT): https://www.thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.com/CHAT [https://www.thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.com/CHAT] * Disaster Preparedness, Response, and Recovery: A role for OT  https://www.thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.com/Disastercourse [https://www.thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.com/Disastercourse] * All Courses: https://www.thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.com/courses [https://www.thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.com/courses] Stay connected: * Website: https://www.thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.com/ [https://www.thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.com/] * Blog: https://thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.blog/ [https://thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.blog/] * Join the newsletter: https://www.thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.com/Newsletter [https://www.thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.com/Newsletter] * Join  our Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/homeaccessibilitysafety [https://www.facebook.com/groups/homeaccessibilitysafety] * Follow on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/susan-doyle-38bba3178 [http://www.linkedin.com/in/susan-doyle-38bba3178]

S1E11: Blog-to-Audio | Why a Checklist Is Not Enough: Elevating Your OT Home Mod Assessments

Why a Checklist Is Not Enough: Elevating Your OT Home Mod Assessments This episode is an audio version of our blog, “Why a Checklist Is Not Enough: Elevating Your OT Home Mod Assessments.” Sue Doyle, PhD, OTR/L walks through the limitations of checklist-based home safety visits and shows you how to bring deeper observation, clinical reasoning, and occupation-focused analysis into your assessments so you can make truly effective, defensible recommendations for your clients. In this episode, we cover: Why relying on home safety checklists alone can leave critical risks unaddressed, including how two clients with identical “checked boxes” can have completely different fall and safety profiles based on insight, cognition, habits, and support. What checklists and standardized tools can and cannot do, and how to move beyond environment-centric box checking to person- and occupation-centered assessment that looks at real movement patterns, transfer strategies, fatigue, and how equipment is actually used. Practical ways to deepen your home mod practice—observing meaningful tasks, sharpening your documentation language, and clarifying OT’s unique value—so you can shift from “form-completer” to confident, evidence-based home modification specialist. Read the full blog and see visuals: * Read the article: https://thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.blog/2026/05/26/why-a-checklist-assessment-is-not-enough-the-real-role-of-ot-in-home-modifications/ [https://thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.blog/2026/05/26/why-a-checklist-assessment-is-not-enough-the-real-role-of-ot-in-home-modifications/] * View any photos, diagrams, or checklists mentioned in this episode on the blog. Related trainings and courses: * Certified Home Accessibility Therapist (CHAT): https://www.thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.com/CHAT [https://www.thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.com/CHAT] * All Courses: https://www.thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.com/courses [https://www.thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.com/courses] Stay connected: * Website: https://www.thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.com/ [https://www.thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.com/] * Blog: https://thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.blog/ [https://thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.blog/] * Join the newsletter: https://www.thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.com/Newsletter [https://www.thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.com/Newsletter] * Join  our Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/homeaccessibilitysafety [https://www.facebook.com/groups/homeaccessibilitysafety] * Follow on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/susan-doyle-38bba3178 [http://www.linkedin.com/in/susan-doyle-38bba3178]