Question 1

What is a Home Safety Check?

Accepted Answer

A Home Safety Check is a home inspection and assessment conducted by one of our certified safety experts.  It involves a virtual visit to the home via a video call and the completion of a detailed 200-point safety checklist. It results in a comprehensive report that includes a summary of findings and an actionable plan for improving home safety and comfort.
 
View a sample Home Safety Report >

Question 2

Why do I need a Home Safety Check?

Accepted Answer

A home safety assessment makes sense at any age but if you – or someone you love – is over the age of 65, it’s a no brainer. 
 
According to the CDC, over 800,000 seniors are hospitalized each year because of a fall injury – 60% of which happen in the home.  A few sobering statistics:
The average hospital cost for a fall injury is now $35,000
Most falls result in a broken hip or head injury
50% of those hospitalized with hip fractures are forced to move or can no longer live independently
In short, the long-term impact of falling – on both an individual’s finances and lifestyle –  can be profound.
 
The good news is that the risk of falling in the home can be significantly reduced.  It starts with a comprehensive home safety assessment conducted by trained professionals.  Only after identifying where tripping hazards and other safety concerns are located, can homeowners and occupants put in place a plan for making impactful home modifications.

Question 3

Is a virtual Home Safety Check preferable to an in-person Home Safety Check?

Accepted Answer

There are pros and cons.  On the one hand, in-person inspections are more likely to reveal hazards that are difficult to uncover remotely. This includes hidden dangers like loose floorboards, or the presence of mold, or a concerning smell.
 
On the other hand, we’re able to anticipate most of these hidden dangers and we explicitly ask homeowners to check on these during our virtual walk-throughs.  In fact, our inspection checklist is an industry standard that has been approved by leading home safety organization, Age Safe America, and covers over 200 safety points.
 
Moreover, because we record video of the virtual visit, we’re often able to catch MORE trouble spots than we would if we were walking through the house just one time.   In fact, we walk through the house TWICE – once in real time with the homeowner, and once on our own when reviewing the video and filling out our report.
 
Other significant benefits to conducting a home safety check remotely:
 
Less intrusive. Thanks to the wonders of video, we can visit you and your home virtually. You don’t need to offer us a cup of coffee!
More convenient.  You can schedule and reschedule quickly and easily.  Because there’s no need for us to travel to your home, our schedules are much more flexible.

Question 4

How much does a Home Safety Check cost?

Accepted Answer

Our base price for a comprehensive home safety assessment is $369. This covers our time to conduct the walk-through, to review the video, to make notes and fill out our checklist and, finally, to generate a custom and actionable report with prioritized recommendations tailored to your specific needs. 
 
This price is comparable with other leading home safety assessment services that charge roughly $100/hr or more. 
 
We also think it may be the best investment one could ever make, particularly when you consider the cost savings for every month that the primary occupants remain in their home, living more safely and independently. 
 
Consider what could happen if you do suffer a serious fall:
Home Care Aid:  ~ $4,000/month
Skilled Nursing Aid:  ~$7,400/month
Assisted Living:  ~$4,000/month (national average), $9,000+/month (high-cost States)
Continuing Care Communities:  Entrance fee ($80k-$750k) + $1,300-$5,400/month

Question 5

Who conducts the Home Safety Checks?

Accepted Answer

All of our home safety professionals are certified aging-in-place specialists with extensive experience working with older adults and their families. Many of them also have firsthand experience with aging parents who have actually suffered catastrophic falls at home. Accrediting bodies include the National Association of Homebuilders and Age Safe America.

Question 6

How does the “virtual walk-through” work?

Accepted Answer

Once you sign up and schedule your assessment, we’ll send you a confirmation email with a calendar reminder and a link to a Zoom room. At the time and date scheduled, and using either a smartphone or tablet, you’ll click on the Zoom link where you’ll find one of our Home Safety professionals waiting. 
 
That home safety professional will introduce him/herself, conduct a quick technology check, then prompt you to walk through various areas and rooms of the home. All you need to do is follow his/her lead.  The camera on your device will be flipped around so the home safety professional can see what you’re seeing. You’ll be asked to perform simple camera tasks like “pan from left to right” or “tilt up, from floor to ceiling” or simply “zoom in.” 
 
The entire experience typically takes 30-45 minutes.  The primary goal here is simply to capture the video so that we can review on our own, without having to take up any more of your time.

Question 7

Can I invite someone else to attend the session?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely.  During the signup process, you’ll be asked to identify anyone else you’d like to participate in the live walk-through. We’ll send off additional Zoom invitations as appropriate.

Question 8

What happens if I don’t have Zoom on my phone or tablet?

Accepted Answer

You’ll have to download Zoom onto your device. If you’re an iPhone or iPad user, you’ll need to visit the Apple App store. If you have a phone or tablet based on the Android operating system, you’ll need to visit the Google Play store.
 
Currently, we’re only conducting virtual walk-throughs via Zoom.  Other potential video platforms are being evaluated.

Question 9

What happens if I have a poor internet connection and/or we get disconnected?

Accepted Answer

No problem. We’re patient!  (This happens on occasion, particularly in more rural areas of the country with spotty internet or cell phone coverage.)
 
We’ll attempt one or more times to reconnect and to continue the virtual tour.  If this proves undoable or too frustrating, we have several workarounds. Much of the work can actually be completed by phone. We may also request that the customer collect video or photos on his/her own and upload them to a secure folder on our website [when have a broadband connection].

Question 10

What if my home’s a mess?

Accepted Answer

Not to worry!  (And who’s home isn’t messy?!)
 
No judgment here. In fact, it’s best that your home NOT be unusually tidy.  The more  “natural” it is, the better we’ll be able to assess just how safe the environment is for typical day-to-day living.

Question 11

Do we need to walk through every room and area of the home?

Accepted Answer

It’s most important that we review those areas of the home that are used on a regular basis –master bedroom, master bath, kitchen, living room, tv room, etc.  If you happen to have an enormous home with scarcely used bedrooms or floors, then we’re likely to recommend that we forego those areas and focus our efforts accordingly.

Question 12

How do I cancel and reschedule my Home Safety Check appointment?

Accepted Answer

When you first shceduled for your appointment, you should have received an email confirmation. In that email is a link to "Cancel appointment."  Click on this link to open up a web page that confirms your cancellation and invites you to "Schedule another appointment." Click on this link.
 
Any remaining questions here, please don't hesitate to reach out to us @ info@ayaplaces.com. Someone will get back to you within 24 hours.

Question 13

What don’t you cover?

Accepted Answer

Our home safety assessments are expressly focused on helping older adults and families “age in place” safely and comfortably. That means identifying tripping hazards and other risks as well as identifying opportunities for boosting accessibility and comfort.
We are not a general home inspection service that one might procure when buying or selling a home. We are also not anyone of a number of other inspection services specializing in, for example, foundations and structural integrity, electrical systems, heating/ventilation/AC, pest control, plumbing, sewer and septic systems, and more.

Question 14

Is my information and the data collected private?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely. All data collected and produced during the home safety check – including visual data – is for internal review purposes only. It will NEVER be shared with a third party and, once your initial home safety assessment is completed, can easily be deleted upon request.

Question 15

When will I receive my Home Safety Report?

Accepted Answer

Typically, your report will be delivered via email within a week of your Zoom session.  Upon request, we’re happy to print out and mail you a hard copy.

Question 16

Will the report tell me whether I can safely continue to live in my home or whether I should move to a new home?

Accepted Answer

Important question. The answer is no. The decision as to whether to remain in place or move to another place (e.g., an assisted living residence) involves a number of factors and should be informed by the expertise of a number of professionals – not just us. This includes doctors, occupational therapists, caregivers and family members.

Question 17

What happens if I’m not 100% satisfied with your service?

Accepted Answer

We’ll do everything we can to make it right. Just let us know.

Question 18

What is Project Pro?

Accepted Answer

Project Pro is a residential project management service designed for homeowners and occupants who don’t have the time nor inclination to hire a handyman or other service provider for a particular home repair or home improvement project.
 
Project managers work directly with customers to clarify the scope of the project, the budget, and the target schedule. In turn, and to the extent desired, they take the lead in identifying, vetting, hiring and managing the hands-on service providers.
 
Projects managed range from relatively simple installation projects (grab bars, handrails, lighting solutions, closet systems, etc.) to more ambitious home design and modification projects (e.g., bathroom and kitchen remodels).

Question 19

Isn’t it enough that I conducted a home safety check?

Accepted Answer

In a word, no. Homeowners and occupants need to follow through on the recommendations contained in the Home Safety Report and to make actual changes to their home environment in order to reduce risk and boost the likelihood of long-term occupancy. 
 
We understand that the prospect of actually finding, hiring and negotiating with trustworthy professionals can be a huge and daunting impediment – whether it’s a handyman, an electrician, a plumber, a landscaper, a housecleaner, a home organizer or any one of other service providers.  We’re here to remove this impediment!

Question 20

What sort of projects are covered by Project Pro?

Accepted Answer

Any projects that focus primarily on improving home safety and on boosting accessibility and comfort in the home. This includes home repair and home maintenance projects as well as installation projects and more ambitious design and remodelling projects.

Question 21

How much does Project Pro cost?

Accepted Answer

Our project managers bill out at $80/hr.  This is a management fee that’s billed to customers by Ayaplaces.  It’s separate from the actual cost charged by the service providers who will bill customers directly.

Frequently asked questions