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Home Environment Assessments

The family of every child treated at Our Children’s House — Children’s Health’s rehabilitation hospital for children recovering from severe injury and illness — receives either an in-person or virtual home environment assessment before their child returns home. These assessments ease your family’s transition home, especially if your child needs new equipment for daily life activities.

Our home environment assessment team is certified by the Accessible Home Improvement of America. If your assessment reveals adjustments that need to be made, our team will make it as easy, effective and efficient as possible to make these changes. We can also help you identify resources to make the updates in an accessible, affordable way.

Dallas

214-867-6700
Fax: 214-867-5479

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What is a Home Environment Assessment?

A home environment assessment is when our team goes over a detailed checklist with you about various aspects of your home. The goal of these assessments is to help your family feel confident and comfortable managing your child’s care, progress and daily activities with any new equipment they will have at home.

Often, the home environment assessment reveals a need for equipment and adjustments to your home, such as:

  • Ramps
  • Shower seats
  • Toilet seats
  • Wider door frames

Our team is well connected in the community and can help identify organizations and vendors that will help make the necessary updates.

What are the benefits of a Home Environment Assessment?

Home environment assessments are crucial to your child’s continued recovery, progress and safety at home. They help provide an environment where you, your child and any caregivers can move around as freely as possible. The Home Environment Assessment (and any of the changes made to the home as a result) will make it possible for your child to continue their recovery at home. The better prepared you are for their return home, the more smoothly the transition will go.

We know how much your child means to you. Working with us on a home environment assessment means you will have access to the tools you need to continue caring for your child.

How do I prepare for a Home Environment Assessment?

There's nothing you need to do to prepare for a home environment assessment. Our job is to help you think ahead to when your child goes home. Our team will walk you through the assessment so your focus can remain on your child's care and recovery.

What questions should I ask my provider about my Home Environment Assessment?

Examples include:

  • How many home environment assessments have you performed?
  • How will the special equipment my child now needs affect our home environment assessment?
  • Will my child be involved in the home environment assessment at all? If so, in what ways?

Frequently Asked Questions

  • How much will my home adjustments cost?

    This varies from family to family and on the needs of your child. Our team works hard to make sure you can get the highest quality equipment and adjustments in your home for as low a cost as we can find. Our trusted relationships with vendors and volunteer organizations help uniquely position us to be successful at this.

    We also work with a volunteer agency that completes 3–5 ramp installments each year for our patients whose families cannot afford one and cannot build one on their own.

  • What if we live in a rental home where our ability to make changes is limited?

    Our team of social workers will work with you and your landlord to find solutions that work for everybody and are in the best interest of your child. It’s important to remember that you are not in this alone.

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