by Don Webster

Orcas Safe Homes

Are you a senior or disabled individual living on Orcas Island or do you know one?  Do you know that there is a free service available from an Orcas non-profit organization to help identify safety risks in the home?  The program is called “Orcas Safe Homes”.  Our free home safety evaluation is available to all senior or disabled residents of Orcas Island regardless of their income.

A simple request by the resident starts the process.  One of our volunteer safety evaluators will make an appointment to visit your home.  Using a comprehensive checklist they will interview you to understand any physical limitations you have that may impact your home safety and then they will conduct a detailed review of your living space and the access (stairs, etc.) to your home.  At the end of the evaluation our volunteer evaluator will discuss their findings with you.  You will receive a brief written report that will identify actions which should improve your in-home safety.  These actions may include items such as installing grab bars in the tub/shower area, securing loose throw-rugs, installing stairway handrails, etc.  The whole process generally takes 1 ½ – 2 hours.

So what’s the catch?  There is none.  Once the resident has our report, they are free to undertake some, none or all of the recommended actions.   We do not share the safety evaluation with governmental organizations, contractors or other businesses.

If you want to address some or all of the recommendations but don’t know who to call, we will provide you with a list of local contractors whom we use, but you are free to call whomever you want.  Can’t afford to pay someone to undertake the safety improvements?  We have funds available to assist the resident in undertaking safety improvements that have been recommended by our volunteer evaluator.

Orcas Safe Homes is a project of Lahari.  You may know that we used to be the operator of a hospice here on Orcas Island.  While we no longer provide a facility for hospice services, we do provide grants to support volunteer in-home hospice care on Orcas Island.

We recognize that the vast majority of Orcas seniors choose to remain in their home as long as possible.  The Orcas Safe Homes project seeks to reduce the risk of the type of accidents that become more common as we age.  This is in line with Lahari’s Mission “To provide education, resources and support to assist aged or infirm people with living on Orcas Island up to and including provision of hospice care.”

For more information or to request a free home safety evaluation please call 1-888-685-1475.  This is a toll-free number which will be answered by one of our local volunteers.  Orcas Safe Homes information brochures are available at the Senior Center, Eastsound Fire Station, and most of the Orcas Island Medical Practitioners’ offices.  You can also visit our website:  www.LahariOnOrcas.org

Give us a call.  Remember, our simple goal is to reduce your risk of injury in your home so that you can continue to enjoy living at home on Orcas Island.