Stay Home Safe
Introducing a specialized program to address in-home fall prevention for older adults.
Habitat for Humanity Detroit, in partnership with Henry Ford Health System, will re-launch its successful Stay Home Safe program (formerly Return Home Safe) with the generous support of the National Council on Aging. This program is designed to reduce the risk for at-home falls by providing modest home safety repairs for eligible low-income older adults.A report by America’s Health Rankings said 29.3% of Michigan seniors ages 65 and older are likely to suffer from a fall, and one out of five falls causes a serious injury like a hip fracture and head trauma. These can lead to decreased mobility, loss of independence, social isolation and depression, and premature death.Eligible low-income older adults are ages 55 and older, own their home, and are considered at-risk for falls by Henry Ford’s Mobile Integrated Health team. The repairs would be at no cost to eligible homeowners.This is the continuation of a pilot program previously completed serving 111 patients and yielded statistically significant results in fall reduction and hospital readmission. The program will continue to gather data regarding fall prevention interventions. At this time, this program and services are not available to the general public and are only available via close-loop referral process exclusively with Henry Ford Health.
Exciting News!
Habitat Detroit’s Stay Home Safe program in partnership with Henry Ford Health was featured in a global case Study by the World Health Organization!! Stay Home Safe is a program near and dear to our hearts and was formed through a desire to find non-medical solutions that can have a great impact on the health and wellness of older adults in our community. Our focus is to prevent vulnerable patients from falls or other home-related safety concerns ultimately improving quality of life. Over the years our program has expanded from a small pilot program to one that serves hundreds of patients per year while also tracking health outcome data. WHO’s selection of this program as one of 11 global case studies in urban health is an outstanding achievement.
What do we do
to help stop falls at home?
- Install grab bars
- Supply and install raised toilet seats
- Fix uneven floors or stairs
- Fix or install handrails
- Clear walkways of things that make you fall
- Fix lighting problems
- Install smoke detectors and fire extinguishers
- And more!
For more information on ways to help support this program, please contact Mary Ellen Kearney, Director of Fund Development, Habitat for Humanity Detroit, at [email protected]
Words from our clients:
“Thank you so much for helping us feel safer at home. I’m concerned about falling so the grab bars, handrails, lights and other things make me feel 100% safer. It is beautiful to see that people care so much and want to help seniors. We appreciate Habitat and the Return Home Safe Program so much.”
– Donald and Margaret F.
