Developing a Project Plan
Overview
Developing a project plan and budget will help you determine what specific activities your project will involve and how much funding needs to be raised to successfully launch and complete your project. Affiliates should clearly outline project design and timeline, roles and budget before implementing a Safe at Home program project.
Note: The project plan below includes an occupational therapist as a member of the interprofessional team that works in collaboration with the client. It is highly recommended that an occupational therapist be included as part of the interprofessional team, as evidence demonstrates that occupational therapists can provide recommendations that improve the client’s function, increase safety, decrease caregiver burden and increase life participation (Siebert et al., 2014). For the purposes of Rebuilding Together, the occupational therapist provides home modification recommendations to the Rebuilding Together affiliate and does not act as the client’s healthcare provider. The Rebuilding Together affiliate, in recognition of the client’s wishes, ultimately determines which home modifications to pursue based on priority needs, scope of work and funding. Some affiliates have used a staff member who has completed either the Executive Certificate in Home Modification (ECHM) or the Certified Aging in Place Specialist (CAPS) training, or someone who has extensive experience in home modifications, in lieu of the occupational therapist role to ensure that ultimately the modifications made fit the clients’ needs, priorities and goals.
Program Design
A Safe at Home project consists of the following steps:
1. Initial Interview and Home Assessment - Conducted by a licensed occupational therapist and experienced Rebuilding Together skilled trade professional. Rebuilding Together completes a comprehensive in-home assessment using Rebuilding Together’s 25 Safe and Healthy Housing Priorities, and collects outcomes before and after-service delivery. The occupational therapist completes one or several standardized home assessments to evaluate clients’ functional skills, fall risk and home accessibility. Home assessment tools, including specific standardized assessments that an occupational therapist can use (i.e. SAFER-HOME, I-HOPE, HOME FAST) are included at the bottom of this webpage.
2. Work Order - The occupational therapist and Rebuilding Together skilled trade professional will develop a work order prioritizing necessary home repairs and modifications that include specifications for installation. The client will review the work order to ensure that it is comprehensive and addresses the client’s needs and interests.
3. Home Repair and Home Modification Work - The work is completed by the skilled trade professional and/or a qualified licensed contractor based on the Work Order recommendations.
4. Follow-up Assessment and Inspection - The follow-up assessment and inspection will be conducted by the occupational therapist and skilled trade professional. The skilled trade professional will inspect the home repairs and modifications to ensure proper installation requirements of the work order. The occupational therapist will ensure that the home modifications fit the needs of the client, and provide training for the client on safe and proper use of adaptive equipment and fall prevention strategies. If additional adjustments are required, a work order will be completed. Both the occupational therapist and the skilled trade professional will collect outcome data and review community resources available to the client for additional needs beyond the home modifications.
Person-First Approach
While implementing your project plan, it is vital to include a person-first approach. A person-first approach requires prioritizing the client above all else in the program design, including:
- building trust and rapport with, and treating the client with dignity and respect
- minimizing administrative burden and inefficiencies by asking client’s necessary information and working collaboratively with team members
- understanding the interaction between the person and their home environment
- designing programming based on homeowner interests and needs
- involving clients in decision-making and determining fit of repairs
More information on providing a person-first approach are included in the Putting People First: Best Practices for Home Assessment webinar.
Timeline
A project timeline depicts how the project and proposed task and activities are expected to be completed by the end of the project period. The distribution of work presented in this schedule should align with your year-to-year budget and be consistent with the proposed tasks and activities. A timeline will help you monitor project progress and ensure you remain on track. Your timeline should include project start and end dates as well as the tasks and activities necessary for implementation including dates, duration, staff/volunteer responsibilities and dependencies between tasks and activities.
Program Roles
The home modification process is dependent on clients’ individual needs, preferences and access to team members. Projects may be completed differently based on the individual, but the goal is to include a comprehensive team that addresses the needs of clients, ultimately key to the project’s success:
- Clients, family members and caregivers participate in the interview and evaluation process to identify priorities and goals, as well as review the range of home modification options available and select preferred home modification(s) for implementation. They additionally participate in follow-up assessment to assess satisfaction and fit of the repair, and receive training in use of home modification interventions after installation. Keeping clients, family members and caregivers as a priority during your project will help ensure that the repairs meet their needs.
- Occupational therapists evaluate the client’s performance of activities of daily living (ADLs) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs), and fall risks in the home. They are licensed clinical practitioners who provide client-focused interventions that adapt the environment to increase independence, promote health and prevent further decline or injury. Occupational therapists can provide follow up education and training to client and family members, as well as specific recommendations for adaptive equipment or assistive technology. More information about occupational therapy’s role in home modifications can be found from the American Occupational Therapy Association, and in this webinar.
- Skilled trade professionals, including Rebuilding Together staff, skilled volunteers, and/or contractors, understand building construction, design and structural concerns, and provide estimates of costs. They also complete a home assessment based on the 25 Safe and Healthy Housing priorities, write a scope of work based on budget and team member input and establish priorities and sequence of construction activities including hiring and supervision of subcontractors. It is recommended that individuals have completed the Certified Aging in Place Specialist (CAPS) or USC’s Executive Certificate in Home Modification Program (ECHM) programs if possible. Rebuilding Together affiliate staff and board members are eligible for special scholarships to take the ECHM course through a partnership with the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology.
- Volunteers (as needed) provide unskilled assistance with project coordination or project tasks such as painting, maintenance and upkeep.
Budget
While the budget of the home modifications will vary depending on the scope of work, team member input and needs of the client, it is recommended that the occupational therapist will be paid a flat fee of $550 per client for their complete role in the project (initial home assessment, work order development, follow up assessment, inspection, training and closeout). This calculation is based on a flat rate including: $300 for initial interview and evaluation, $200 for follow up visit and training, $50 for insurance. Some affiliates work with local occupational therapy academic programs, or rely on volunteer occupational therapists that complete their role free of charge.
Additionally, when developing your project budgets, we advise that your allocation amounts for a small attrition rate of clients due to illness, relocation or death.
References
Siebert, C., Smallfield, S., & Stark, S. (2014). Occupational therapy practice guidelines for home modifications. Bethesda, MD: AOTA Press.
Home Assessment Tools