TIL about a free home modification program in my area through the Area Agency on Aging

Last week I found out about a program called Senior Safety Repair that covers things like grab bars and ramps for folks on a fixed income. I called the office in Springfield and they said I qualified because my mom's 78 and her house is over 30 years old. They even sent an evaluator out yesterday to look at her bathroom. Has anyone else used something similar through their local agency?

3 comments

3 Comments

henry_ross13d ago

Holy cow, they sent an evaluator out that fast? That is wild to me. I've been on waiting lists for stuff like this for months before, so hearing they came the next day feels almost too good to be true. I'm glad your mom is getting the help, but I'm honestly a little jealous of how quick that was for you. Did the evaluator seem helpful and thorough, or was it more of a quick look?

baker.christopher13d agoMost Upvoted

Three weeks ago my neighbor had the exact opposite experience. Her dad's evaluator spent almost two hours going through everything, checking the house for fall risks, even calling his doctor right there. So it really seems like some agencies have totally different standards or maybe just different funding levels. Makes me wonder if certain zip codes get the fast rubber stamp and others get the full treatment. Your mom lucked out on speed but maybe not on quality, which is kind of a messed up trade off.

pat_roberts5513d ago

Nah, I hear you on that jealousy thing. It really is wild how fast it happened for us. The lady showed up the next morning and was in and out in like 20 minutes. She barely looked at anything, just asked my mom a couple questions and checked a box. Felt like a rubber stamp more than an actual evaluation. But I guess if it gets the ball rolling, I can't complain too much. Still makes you wonder who's getting the short end of the stick though.