Providing senior home safety surveys is one of the fastest growing senior service businesses, as more and more baby boomers turn 65. As seniors age, their balance, vision and reflexes change, which can result in more in-home injuries, particularly falls.Unfortunately, one in three seniors falls each year, which can cause serious injuries such as broken bones or head injuries. These fall-related injuries can mean hospitalization, huge medical bills and long recovery times.
Most in-home falls and other common injuries can be prevented if you know what to look for and how to make the necessary safety modifications. Most modifications are simple and inexpensive, such as better lighting or improved handrails in stairways.
Using a simple checklist, a senior home safety advisor goes through an entire home, room by room, to look for safety issues. After the checklist is completed, a summary of the safety survey and recommendations for modifications is given to the senior homeowner. Safety advisors often make minor improvements, such as brighter lighting or non-slip area rug pads, themselves. They also assist homeowners in finding a reputable, trained contractor to make more extensive modifications, like ramps and walk-in tubs.
Starting a senior home safety business is easy and quick compared to many other service businesses. You don’t need a fancy office, or a warehouse for inventory, just a clipboard and a checklist. No formal training is required either, as you learn by doing several practice safety surveys for friends and family to become familiar with the checklist.
Most senior home safety businesses start with just a few hundred dollars, a reliable vehicle and a cell phone to stay in touch with prospects and customers. The cost of a senior home safety survey ranges from $60 to $200, depending on the home size. A typical home safety check for a smaller home can be completed in about an hour, and larger homes take several hours. There is also extra income from commissions when a contractor does safety modifications, such as installing a ramp or safety grab bars.
Because the medical costs resulting from in-home accidents like a fall are so high, everyone in the senior care community, from the federal government to local aging agencies is eager to support anything that can trim those medical costs. That’s why senior home safety advisors get so many referrals from senior care professionals like doctors and senior social workers.
If you start offering senior home safety surveys, you’ll quickly notice that seniors spread the word quickly among friends after they have their home checked. Better than half of the new customers typically come from referrals from happy past customers.
The opportunities are remarkable in the growing senior home safety field, as is the income. It’s not unusual for an established senior safety advisor to earn over $100,000 yearly from safety survey fees, add-ons such as non-slip carpet pads, and commissions from contractors. If you’ve been looking for an home-
based business that combines an above-average income with helping others live longer, safer lives, be sure to read: How To Start Your Own Senior Home Safety Consulting Business.