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

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]

S1E10: Therapist Thursday | Amy on Blending Architecture, OT, and Home Modifications Across the Lifespan

Summary   In this Therapist Thursday episode, Sue Doyle, PhD, OTR/L talks with Amy, an occupational therapist and founder of Live Equipped, about building a flexible OT practice that combines in‑home therapy, home modifications, and a pediatric clinic while serving both urban and rural communities around Birmingham, Alabama. Amy shares how she blended her early interest in architecture with her OT training, leveraged grants and nonprofit partnerships, and navigated Medicare and insurance so more clients can safely age in place and live more fully at home. What you’ll learn in this episode: How Amy’s path from “almost‑architect” to OT, then home health therapist, led her to create Live Equipt, provide in‑home OT and home accessibility assessments, and eventually open a pediatric clinic while working with large home‑modification programs across 20 counties. Practical strategies she uses in evaluations, from walking through clients’ entire daily routines (beyond “just a few grab bars”) to generating long lists of small, low‑cost changes that dramatically improve safety, independence, and ease of daily activities in real‑world homes. Business and career insights on carefully transitioning from employment to entrepreneurship (keeping PRN work as a safety net), learning Medicare/insurance so you can serve beneficiaries instead of excluding them, using grants and programs like Older Adults Home Modifications and PANDA, and designing a schedule that supports both client care and family life. Guest details and links: * Amy Marchant * Website: https://www.livequipt.com/ [https://www.livequipt.com/] * LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/amy-marchant-otr-l-caps-echm-champ-243b02207 [https://www.linkedin.com/in/amy-marchant-otr-l-caps-echm-champ-243b02207/] 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]

S1E9: Office Hours | Getting Started in Home Mods Part 2

Summary In this office hours episode, Sue Doyle, PhD, OTR/L, dives into the second key step in getting started with home modifications: clarifying what expertise you truly need and how to intentionally build it over time. She highlights the unique value OTs bring, the advanced skills that go beyond basic safety checks, and practical ways to grow your confidence and competence in this specialty. Questions answered in this episode: What skills do therapists already have that transfer directly into home modifications, and what counts as “advanced” home mod expertise? How is OT-led home assessment different from contractor-led or technician-led recommendations, and why does clinical reasoning make such a difference in outcomes? What additional knowledge should you develop—like construction basics, standardized assessments, documentation, and staying current with new products—to confidently grow a home mods 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]