The Home Accessibility Therapist Podcast

Sue Doyle PhD OTR/L

The Home Accessibility Therapist Podcast delivers tips, training, and interviews for therapists who are changing lives at home. Each episode turns real-world home modification challenges—like falls, hoarding, and disaster preparedness—into clear, practical strategies you can use on your next visit. You’ll hear Therapist Thursday interviews, research-based blog-to-audio episodes, and “Office Hours” Q&A focused on evaluations, documentation, and funding. The podcast’s goal is to build your confidence and skills as a home accessibility therapist so your recommendations are safer, more effective, and more likely to be implemented.

  1. 2d ago

    S1E34 Therapist Thursday | Ally Evelyn-Gustave on CAPABLE and Client-Directed Aging in Place

    SummaryIn this Therapist Thursday episode, Sue Doyle, PhD, OTR/L talks with Ally Evelyn-Gustave, an occupational therapist with 40 years of experience, about CAPABLE—an in-home, client-directed program that brings together an OT, nurse, and handyperson to help older adults meet self-selected goals for safer, more independent living. Ally shares how prevention, practical problem-solving, team collaboration, and strong knowledge of local resources can transform both a home and a person’s ability to thrive there. What you’ll learn in this episode: How Ally’s career in home-based OT, private practice with people recovering from brain trauma, acute care, outpatient therapy, and driver training led her to CAPABLE nearly two decades ago—and why working in a client’s actual home offers insights that clinic-based care cannot replace.How CAPABLE works: a four- to five-month intervention in which the OT, nurse, and handyperson collaborate around the older adult’s own goals, using skill-building, equipment, repairs, home modifications, and behavior-change strategies to improve safety, independence, and fall prevention.Practical lessons for home accessibility work, including prioritizing immediate safety needs while larger changes are pending, understanding local repair and funding programs, and seeing the profound impact of restoring a functional home environment—such as helping one client reclaim her kitchen, routines, confidence, and connection with family. Guest details and links:Ally Evelyn-Gustave Website: https://capablenationalcenter.org/LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/allyson-evelyn-gustave-otr-l-echm-a4b0b514Resources mentioned: Certified Home Accessibility Therapist (CHAT): https://www.thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.com/CHATAll Courses: https://www.thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.com/coursesConnect with The Home Accessibility Therapist: Website: https://www.thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.com/Blog: https://thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.blog/Join the newsletter: https://www.thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.com/NewsletterJoin  our Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/homeaccessibilitysafetyFollow on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/susan-doyle-38bba3178

  2. Oct 27

    S1E33: Office Hours | Beyond Grab Bars—Bathroom Modifications That Support Participation

    Summary In this Office Hours episode, Sue Doyle, PhD, OTR/L, answers common questions about bathroom assessments, grab bar placement, bathing equipment, toileting, and small-space challenges through the fictional case of Linda, whose goal is to wash her hair without her husband’s help. Learn how to look beyond transfers and equipment to develop individualized recommendations that support meaningful routines, privacy, confidence, and caregiver needs. Questions answered in this episode Where should I start when everything in the bathroom looks like a problem?What should I observe before, during, and after bathing—not just during the transfer?How do I determine where grab bars should go for an individual client?When is a shower chair enough, and when should I consider a tub transfer bench?Should I recommend a higher toilet, and what else matters for the complete toileting routine?What can I do when the bathroom is tiny, the client rents, or renovation is not possible?How should I respond when a client declines bathroom equipment?How can I address caregiver needs while keeping the client’s preferences and privacy central?When should I recommend structural changes, and how do I collaborate with installers and construction professionals?How can follow-up and documentation show whether bathroom modifications actually improve the client’s participation?Mentioned resources and links: Certified Home Accessibility Therapist (CHAT): https://www.thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.com/CHATCourses & Memberships:  https://www.thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.com/coursesAny handouts, checklists, or blog posts referenced: Submit a question for a future episode: Use the question form here: https://www.thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.com/SubmitQuestionOr email your question to: sue@thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.comConnect with The Home Accessibility Therapist: Website: https://www.thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.com/Blog: https://thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.blog/Join the newsletter: https://www.thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.com/NewsletterJoin  our Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/homeaccessibilitysafetyFollow on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/susan-doyle-38bba3178

  3. Oct 20

    S1E32: Blog-to-Audio | When the Clinic Can’t Come to Them: The Case for Low Vision Home Therapy Services

    Summary This episode is an audio version of our blog, “When the Clinic Can’t Come to Them: The Case for Low Vision Home Therapy Services.” Sue Doyle, PhD, OTR/L makes the case that home-based, OT-led low vision services are a missing piece in many communities, highlighting compelling research and practical interventions that restore function, safety, and participation for clients who can’t reliably access clinic-based vision rehab. In this episode, we cover: Why low vision home therapy is urgently needed: the common scenario of older adults with significant vision loss who are largely homebound, repeatedly miss low vision clinic appointments due to transportation and caregiver barriers, and face growing fall risk, isolation, and shrinking worlds.Key evidence behind home-based OT low vision services, including the SEER (Seniors’ Eye Rehabilitation) program pilot: home visits focused on ADL/IADL retraining, environmental modifications, mobility training, and caregiver education that significantly reduced activity limitations and participation restrictions and improved well-being—without changing the underlying visual impairment.What OT-led low vision home therapy actually looks like in practice: lighting and contrast changes, labeling and organization, hazard removal, device and strategy training, goal-directed planning, and multidisciplinary collaboration—plus a challenge to therapists to start explicitly screening for low vision and intentionally integrating this work into their home modification caseloads.Read the full blog and see visuals: Read the article: https://thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.blog/2026/07/08/when-the-clinic-cant-come-to-them-the-case-for-low-vision-home-therapy-services/View any photos, diagrams, or checklists mentioned in this episode on the blog.Related trainings and courses: Certified Home Accessibility Therapist (CHAT): https://www.thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.com/CHATOccupational Therapy for Persons with Hoarding Disorder https://www.thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.com/HoardingCourseAll Courses: https://www.thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.com/coursesStay connected: Website: https://www.thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.com/Blog: https://thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.blog/Join the newsletter: https://www.thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.com/NewsletterJoin  our Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/homeaccessibilitysafetyFollow on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/susan-doyle-38bba3178

  4. Oct 13

    S1E31: Blog-to-Audio | Supporting Breast Cancer Survivors at Home: The OT’s Expanded Role

    SummaryAs Breast Cancer Awareness Month approaches, Sue Doyle, PhD, OTR/L explores the part of recovery that happens after medical treatment: returning home. This episode shows how home-based occupational therapy and individualized environmental adaptations can help breast cancer survivors manage daily activities, conserve energy, navigate cognitive changes, and reconnect with the roles that matter most. In this episode, we cover: The often-overlooked scope of post-treatment challenges—including limited shoulder motion and strength, pain, fatigue, lymphedema concerns, “chemo brain,” body-image changes, and grief over disrupted roles—and why OT has an essential role in cancer care. Room-by-room home strategies for restoring independence: reorganizing kitchens to reduce reaching and effort; adapting bathing, dressing, and hair-care routines; optimizing bed height and closet access; and using lightweight equipment, one-handed techniques, and adaptive tools to support recovery. Practical approaches to cognitive support and energy conservation, including medication organizers, phone reminders, visual checklists, predictable routines, task simplification, and the Four P’s: planning, pacing, positioning, and permission. How home modification OTs can address the psychosocial side of survivorship by supporting identity, meaningful activity, social connection, informed lymphedema precautions, and the transition from “who I was before” to “what I can do now.”Read the full blog and see visuals: Read the article: https://thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.blog/2025/10/08/supporting-breast-cancer-survivors-at-home-the-ots-expanded-role/View any photos, diagrams, or checklists mentioned in this episode on the blog.Related trainings and courses: Certified Home Accessibility Therapist (CHAT): https://www.thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.com/CHATOccupational Therapy for Persons with Hoarding Disorder https://www.thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.com/HoardingCourseAll Courses: https://www.thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.com/coursesStay connected: Website: https://www.thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.com/Blog: https://thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.blog/Join the newsletter: https://www.thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.com/NewsletterJoin  our Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/homeaccessibilitysafetyFollow on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/susan-doyle-38bba3178

  5. Oct 6

    S1E30: Therapist Thursday | Esther C. Kane on The Stoic Caregiver, Aging-in-Place Resources, and Supporting Families Online

    SummaryIn this Therapist Thursday episode, Sue Doyle, PhD, OTR/L talks with Esther C. Kane, an occupational therapist turned internet marketing and aging‑in‑place entrepreneur, about her journey from geriatric neuro rehab to creating SeniorSafetyAdvice.com, the Aging in Place Directory, and her three‑volume series, The Stoic Caregiver. Esther shares how stoic philosophy, OT experience, and online platforms can help family caregivers and aging‑in‑place professionals navigate guilt, limits, and complex systems with more resilience and practical support. What you’ll learn in this episode: How Esther’s 12 years in geriatric neuro OT and decades running an internet marketing company led her to blend OT and online education through SeniorSafetyAdvice.com, providing practical safety guidance and then building the Aging in Place Directory to connect families with OTs, PTs, contractors, aging‑in‑place specialists, and geriatric care managers.Why she wrote The Stoic Caregiver—three short volumes built around 60 stoic‑inspired lessons—and how those ideas apply to real caregiver challenges like anger, guilt, limited control, and balancing a loved one’s needs with your own health and boundaries.Business and professional insights for therapists and aging‑in‑place providers, including the value of cross‑disciplinary networking, using online tools and AI for marketing and education, recognizing systemic funding limits without burning out, and exploring OT roles in proactive caregiver training and retirement‑planning programs.Guest details and links:Esther C. Kane Website: Find Local Aging in Place Specialists, Services and SupportLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seniorsafetyadvice/Resources mentioned: Certified Home Accessibility Therapist (CHAT): https://www.thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.com/CHATAll Courses: https://www.thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.com/coursesConnect with The Home Accessibility Therapist: Website: https://www.thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.com/Blog: https://thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.blog/Join the newsletter: https://www.thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.com/NewsletterJoin  our Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/homeaccessibilitysafetyFollow on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/susan-doyle-38bba3178

  6. Sep 29

    S1E29: Office Hours | When Is a Home Safety Visit a Skilled, Medically Necessary OT Service?

    SummaryIn this Office Hours episode, Sue Doyle, PhD, OTR/L, walks through a practical case example to clarify when a home safety or home-modification visit may be a skilled, medically necessary occupational therapy service—and when it is better described as a preventive accessibility or aging-in-place consultation. Learn how to distinguish service pathways, center the client’s occupational goals, document skilled reasoning, and communicate clearly about funding and billing. Questions answered in this episode: When does a home safety or home-modification visit qualify as a skilled, medically necessary OT service?How can I distinguish a current functional therapy need from a preventive aging-in-place consultation?What makes an OT’s role in home accessibility assessment skilled and distinct from a contractor’s role?How should I document functional limitations, observed performance, client priorities, interventions, and response to treatment?Can one client need both medically necessary OT and a separate future-focused accessibility consultation?Does coverage for skilled OT services mean that Medicare or another payer will cover equipment, construction, or renovations?How should acute-care, home-health, outpatient, and private-practice therapists approach these questions within their own setting and payer rules?When might skilled maintenance services be appropriate for a client with a progressive condition?Mentioned resources and links: Certified Home Accessibility Therapist (CHAT): https://www.thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.com/CHATCourses & Memberships:  https://www.thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.com/coursesAny handouts, checklists, or blog posts referenced: Submit a question for a future episode: Use the question form here: https://www.thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.com/SubmitQuestionOr email your question to: sue@thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.comConnect with The Home Accessibility Therapist: Website: https://www.thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.com/Blog: https://thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.blog/Join the newsletter: https://www.thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.com/NewsletterJoin  our Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/homeaccessibilitysafetyFollow on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/susan-doyle-38bba3178

  7. Sep 22

    S1E28: Blog to Audio | Smart Granny Pods: How Tech-Enabled ADUs and Home Mods Support Well-Being

    SummaryThis episode is an audio version of our blog, “Smart Granny Pods: How Tech-Enabled ADUs Are Creating New Clinical and Business Opportunities for Home Mod OTs.” Sue Doyle, PhD, OTR/L explores how thoughtfully designed, technology-supported home modifications—including ADUs and “granny pods”—impact not only falls and physical access, but also mood, anxiety, confidence, and caregiver stress. In this episode, we cover:Why the home environment is a powerful mental health factor: how steep steps, narrow doorways, unsafe bathrooms, poor lighting, and generally “unsuitable” housing can become daily sources of stress, fear, reduced participation, and caregiver strain. What emerging evidence and practice reports show about OT-led home modifications beyond fall prevention, including reductions in depression symptoms, improved quality of life, decreased caregiver burden, and a stronger sense of safety and control at home. Five psychological mechanisms through which well-designed home mods—including ramps, grab bars, non-slip flooring, better lighting, accessible storage, and tech-enabled supports—can bolster mental health: enhancing safety and reducing fear, restoring independence and autonomy, increasing control and predictability, supporting identity and meaningful occupation, and facilitating social connection.Read the full blog and see visuals: Read the article: https://thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.blog/2026/05/05/smart-granny-pods-how-tech-enabled-adus-are-creating-new-clinical-and-business-opportunities-for-home-mod-ots/View any photos, diagrams, or checklists mentioned in this episode on the blog.Related trainings and courses: Certified Home Accessibility Therapist (CHAT): https://www.thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.com/CHATOccupational Therapy for Persons with Hoarding Disorder https://www.thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.com/HoardingCourseAll Courses: https://www.thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.com/coursesStay connected: Website: https://www.thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.com/Blog: https://thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.blog/Join the newsletter: https://www.thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.com/NewsletterJoin  our Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/homeaccessibilitysafetyFollow on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/susan-doyle-38bba3178

  8. Sep 15

    S1E27: Blog to Audio | The Connection Between Diabetes and Fall Risk: What OTs and PTs Need to Know for Home Safety

    SummaryThis episode is an audio version of our blog, “The Connection Between Diabetes and Fall Risk.” Sue Doyle, PhD, OTR/L unpacks what the research says about why older adults with diabetes fall more often and more repeatedly, then walks through practical, home-based strategies OTs and PTs can use to address neuropathy, vision changes, medication effects, and environment together. In this episode, we cover: The big-picture data on diabetes and falls, including how common diabetes is in older adults and how much it increases both first-time and recurrent fall risk—making it a background factor on many caseloads, not a niche condition. Key clinical drivers of elevated fall risk in diabetes: peripheral neuropathy, diabetic vision changes, hypoglycemia episodes, complex medication regimens (including insulin and newer agents), and musculoskeletal changes that together undermine balance, gait, and protective responses. Evidence-informed home modifications and safety strategies tailored to this population—lighting and flooring changes, bathroom and stairway upgrades, grab bars and contrast use, rug and threshold management, and ways to educate clients and families—so you can treat diabetes as a clear fall-risk flag and proactively adapt the home rather than waiting for “inevitable” falls. Read the full blog and see visuals: Read the article: https://thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.blog/2025/04/17/the-connection-between-diabetes-and-increased-fall-risk/View any photos, diagrams, or checklists mentioned in this episode on the blog.Related trainings and courses: Certified Home Accessibility Therapist (CHAT): https://www.thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.com/CHATOccupational Therapy for Persons with Hoarding Disorder https://www.thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.com/HoardingCourseAll Courses: https://www.thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.com/coursesStay connected: Website: https://www.thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.com/Blog: https://thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.blog/Join the newsletter: https://www.thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.com/NewsletterJoin  our Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/homeaccessibilitysafetyFollow on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/susan-doyle-38bba3178

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The Home Accessibility Therapist Podcast delivers tips, training, and interviews for therapists who are changing lives at home. Each episode turns real-world home modification challenges—like falls, hoarding, and disaster preparedness—into clear, practical strategies you can use on your next visit. You’ll hear Therapist Thursday interviews, research-based blog-to-audio episodes, and “Office Hours” Q&A focused on evaluations, documentation, and funding. The podcast’s goal is to build your confidence and skills as a home accessibility therapist so your recommendations are safer, more effective, and more likely to be implemented.

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