08/13/2026
We're excited to celebrate another milestone in our partnership with the University of St. Augustine! 🎉
The 1st package of occupational therapy student reports has officially been completed, marking a successful start to this meaningful collaboration.
Through hands-on fieldwork in Cedar Crest homes, students are gaining real-world experience while helping us better understand how home environments—especially with regards to accessibility—can impact the health, safety, and independence of North Texas residents.
What we found:
🏠 Nearly every home evaluated had at least 1 fall-risk hazard invisible to a non-clinical eye — uneven or "spongy" flooring, missing handrails, unsecured thresholds, or entryways that don't accommodate a walker or wheelchair.
✚ Multiple clients were managing serious health conditions (chronic pain, post-surgical recovery, diabetic neuropathy, arthritis, cerebral palsy) while living in homes with active structural hazards — leaking roofs, rotting wood, exposed wiring, non-functioning HVAC.
🧯Basic safety infrastructure was missing or expired in several homes: no carbon monoxide detectors, disconnected smoke detectors, fire extinguishers years past expiration.
👩👩👧👧 Many clients are aging in place while also caregiving — for grandchildren, for a spouse — meaning an unsafe home puts more than one generation at risk.
🛠️ The most common OT recommendations were also some of the most affordable to implement: grab bars, raised toilet seats, shower chairs, ramps, handrails — small, targeted changes with outsized impact on independence and fall prevention.
The partnership matters because OT evaluations turn ""the house needs work"" into a clear clinical case for funders, referral partners, and volunteers. A contractor can see a broken step; an occupational therapist can see why that step is dangerous for this specific person — their balance, their mobility device, their reach, their fatigue level — and translate that into a prioritized, medically grounded repair plan.
By the numbers (out of 8 homes evaluated):
- 8 of 8 had uneven flooring, unsecured thresholds, or trip hazards flagged — this was universal
- 7 of 8 were missing grab bars in the bathroom, or OT specifically recommended installing them
- 6 of 8 had active roof or water-damage issues (leaks, ceiling cracks, water intrusion)
- 5 of 8 had missing, disconnected, or dead-battery smoke/CO detectors
- 5 of 8 had a missing or expired fire extinguisher
- 5 of 8 clients relied on a mobility device (cane, walker, wheelchair) to move through their own home
- 4 of 8 clients had a documented history of falls in the past several months (one additional client reported no recent falls but was still flagged as high fall-risk)
- 4 of 8 had a non-functioning or inadequate HVAC system
- 4 of 8 had a noted structural or foundation concern
Thank you to the University of St. Augustine students and faculty for your dedication and partnership. We look forward to continuing this important work!