Home Safety Assessment

Free Home Safety Assessment
in Ottawa

A professional home assessor visits your home and walks through it with you, room by room: the entrances, stairs, lighting, bathroom, floors and walkways. Within 5 business days, you receive a clear written list of what would help, in priority order, with a review of the grants and tax credits you may qualify for. It is for seniors who want to keep living at home with confidence, and for the families who help them.

Free. No obligation.

Request Your Service Now Call 613.794.2040

A Still at Home assessor reviewing notes with a client at home

What a home safety assessment is

Most homes have a few things worth fixing. You do not know which ones until someone looks. Our home safety assessment is a practical, room-by-room review of the home, focused on safe and easy daily living: getting in and out, moving between rooms and floors, using the bathroom, and finding your way at night.

It is done by a professional home assessor, not a salesperson. We ask how you use each space, what has started to feel harder, and what you want to keep doing at home. The aim is simple: to help you stay in the home you love, where you belong, with the right changes made at the right time.

It is a home review, not a clinical or occupational therapy assessment. We look at the home, not at the person, and nobody is asked to perform a test. Where an occupational therapist's assessment would help, we suggest a referral and are glad to work alongside one.

What we check, room by room

A home accessibility assessment covers the places where daily life happens. Here is what the assessor looks at during the visit.

Entrances, steps and railings

The way in and out of the home: the approach, the front and back doors, thresholds, the steps and whether railings are solid, on both sides where they are needed, and easy to hold.

Hallways, stairways and lighting

Light where it matters most: halls, stairways and the path from the bedroom to the bathroom at night. We note the spots that stay dim.

The bathroom

Getting in and out of the tub or shower, places to hold on, the toilet, and the water temperature at the tap. The bathroom is often where a small change makes the biggest difference.

Floors, rugs and trip points

Floor surfaces, loose rugs, cords across a path, raised edges between rooms and anything else that could catch a foot, in every room we walk through.

Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms

Whether the home has smoke and CO alarms where they belong, so everyone in the home has early warning.

Outside walkways

Paths, driveways and the route to the door, including uneven surfaces and spots that will matter once the snow and ice arrive.

What you receive

A written list, in priority order, with estimated costs

Within 5 business days, you receive a written report listing what would help, with the most important items first and an estimated cost for each. It is written in plain language, so you can share it with family and decide together. Some items are simple changes you can make yourself; others need a trade.

A review of grants and tax credits

The report includes a review of the grants and tax credits you may qualify for, such as the Home Accessibility Tax Credit, Ontario Renovates and the Home and Vehicle Modification Program. See every program on our government grants page.

What often follows

Common next steps are grab bars, supplied and installed, better lighting, a safer entrance, or a larger accessible renovation such as a walk-in shower. If you choose to go ahead, we coordinate the grants, permits and trades for you. If not, the list is yours to keep.

Does not include

Repairs or installations (recommended items are quoted separately)
Mechanical systems such as the furnace and hot water tank (see the Home Inspection)
A clinical or occupational therapy assessment; where one would help, we suggest a referral

Who it is for

Seniors living at home

You know your home better than anyone. A free home safety assessment for seniors in Ottawa is a chance to plan ahead on your own terms: to see what would make each day a little easier now, and what to keep in mind for later.

Families arranging it for a parent

Many requests come from sons and daughters. You can book the visit for your parent, join it in person or by phone, and read the report together. It gives the whole family the same clear picture, and a calm place to start the conversation.

Health professionals

Occupational therapists, discharge planners and care coordinators can refer a client through our patient referral form. We handle the home side and keep you informed.

How to book, and what happens next

Request or call

Use Request Your Service Now or call 613.794.2040. Choose a week that suits you, or tell us you are flexible. We call to confirm the visit.

The home visit

A professional home assessor walks through the home with you, room by room, and notes what would help.

Written report in 5 business days

Your list of what would help, in priority order, with estimated costs and a review of the grants and tax credits you may qualify for.

We handle everything after

If you choose to proceed, we coordinate grants, permits, trades and project management. One team, one point of contact.

Why Still at Home

We are a managed service, not a single trade. The same team that assesses your home can plan the work, look after the grant paperwork and coordinate the trades, with one point of contact from the first call to the last visit.

Our accessible whole-home renovation of an Ottawa split-level is a finalist in the 2026 GOHBA Housing Design Awards, and we hold the CHBA Qualified Adaptiv Home Specialist credential.

We serve Ottawa and nearby areas, including Perth, Arnprior, Carleton Place, Kanata, Manotick, Orléans, Clarence-Rockland, Kemptville, Carp, Barrhaven, Nepean, Stittsville, Gloucester.

Start on your own

The Home Safety Score

Not ready for a visit yet? Our free self-check takes you through the home room by room and gives you a score out of 100, with suggestions for each room. It describes the home, and your answers about the person stay on your device.

Try the Home Safety Score

Frequently asked questions

Is the home safety assessment really free?+

Yes. The Home Safety Assessment is free, with no obligation. A professional home assessor visits your home, and you receive a written list of what would help, in priority order, with estimated costs and a review of the grants and tax credits you may qualify for. You keep the list whether or not you go ahead with anything.

What happens during the visit?+

The assessor walks through the home with you, room by room: entrances, steps and railings, lighting in halls and stairways, the bathroom, floors and rugs, smoke and CO alarms, and outside walkways. We ask how you use each space and what feels harder than it used to. There is no test and nothing to prepare. The written report follows within 5 business days.

Is this an occupational therapy assessment?+

No. It is a practical home review by a professional home assessor, not a clinical or occupational therapy assessment. We look at the home, not at the person. Where an occupational therapist's assessment would help, we suggest a referral, and we are happy to work alongside one.

Who should be there for the assessment?+

The person who lives in the home, if at all possible, since they know best how each room is used. Many families also like a son, daughter or other family member to join, in person or by phone. It is your home and your visit, so whoever you would like to include is welcome.

Do I have to buy anything afterwards?+

No. There is no obligation. Some families make a few small changes themselves, some ask us to handle the work, and some keep the list for later. If you would like us to do the work, recommended items are quoted separately, and nothing starts until you say yes.

Can you help with grants and tax credits?+

Yes. Your written report includes a review of the grants and tax credits you may qualify for, such as the Home Accessibility Tax Credit, the Medical Expense Tax Credit, Ontario Renovates and the Home and Vehicle Modification Program. Our grants guides explain each program, and if you go ahead we can help with the paperwork.

Can I book the assessment for my parent?+

Yes. Many requests come from adult children arranging it for a parent. Choose that you are booking for a family member in the request form and give us their address and phone number. We call to confirm a time that suits them, and you can read the report together.

Which areas do you serve?+

Ottawa and nearby areas: Ottawa, Kanata, Orléans, Manotick, Carp, Barrhaven, Nepean, Stittsville and Gloucester, plus Perth, Arnprior, Carleton Place, Clarence-Rockland and Kemptville. If your home is just outside these areas, call us and ask.

Request your free Home Safety Assessment

No obligation. No pressure. A professional visit and a clear plan for your family.