Elevate Independent Living for Seniors

As seniors grow older, they become more vulnerable to injuries that can happen inside their homes, such as falls. Shockingly, one in three seniors aged 65 and older falls each year, and many of them end up with severe injuries like head trauma or broken bones. These injuries can lead to enormous medical expenses and extended recovery periods. When seniors suffer hip fractures due to a fall, 40% of them are unable to live independently again! In addition, 25% of them die from their injuries while staying in the hospital. The good news is that by making simple, common-sense modifications to their homes, seniors can prevent most in-home injuries and live safely in their homes for many years. A Senior Safe Living Specialist conducts a safety survey of a senior’s home, including outdoor areas, using a proprietary 120-item safety checklist. The Specialist carefully examines each room and identifies potential hazards or items that need attention or modification. The recommendations can range from adding night lights in halls or changing doorknobs to more complex alterations like ramps or grab bars in the shower or tub area. Once the survey is complete, the senior client receives a “Safety Survey Summary and Recommendations” outlining any necessary changes or modifications. If a contractor is needed, the Senior Safe Living Specialist can recommend a reliable local person or business to complete the necessary work.

Most of the demand comes from the seniors themselves. Still, many senior care professionals, such as social workers, physical therapists, and home care nurses, can recommend that their clients conduct a safety survey, as they know how costly a fall or other in-home accident can be. A surprisingly large number of requests for safety surveys come from the adult children of seniors who care about their parent’s safety. Aside from the medical expenses, a severe fall carries a huge emotional cost for seniors and their families.

It all depends on the size of the home. Our Proprietary Safety Survey can take as little as one hour for a small home and several hours for a larger home. Many seniors prefer to have the safety advisor return to make minor safety improvements, such as putting non-slip pads under area rugs or installing safer LED bulbs or fixtures.

A safety checkup evaluates visible items and areas that need attention, such as slippery steps or lack of handrails. A conventional home inspection is an in-depth structural inspection that evaluates home components, such as a furnace or air conditioner, attic insulation, siding and roofing condition, etc. A safety checkup is not a home inspection, so the cost is reasonable. 

Yes, you’re the boss and can tailor your work schedule so you can work as little or as much as you want. That’s why this is such an ideal business for those with family responsibilities or even another part-time senior service business.

Following a simple checklist, you can perform a senior safety checkup. This does not require any carpentry, wiring, or construction experience. That said, many safety advisors with those skills tackle some modifications that may be required, like ramps or adding grab bars in a bathroom.

A safety survey focuses mainly on identifying and correcting fall hazards, as those pose the highest medical risk. The most common fall hazards are area rugs with no non-slip pads underneath, inadequate lighting, unsafe stairways, and slippery bathroom surfaces. Electrical hazards, such as missing or non-functioning smoke detectors or overloaded extension cords, are also quite common and usually simple to correct. The opportunities are exceptional in the growing senior safety field, and so is the potential for a solid income. It is common to bring in over $100,00 a year from safety survey fees, commissions and add-on services. If you’ve been looking for a recession-proof home-based business that allows you to make a living helping seniors’ lives safer, longer lives at home, this could be it.

To become an “Accredited Senior Safe Living Specialist”, you need to complete our online learning modules. These modules provide a comprehensive course with all the necessary knowledge. However, it is important to note that you must pass the Senior Safe Living Accreditation Course with a minimum score of 75% to qualify for a territory. You can do a few “practice” safety checks for your friends and family to get familiar with the forms. Although formal training is not required, you need common sense and patience in dealing with seniors. Anyone who is a people person should do well in this business.