As we get closer to fall and the weather starts to turn cooler, homeowners may start thinking about home projects they’d like to get finished before winter (and snow!) hits. Although many older adults want to age in place in their home, sometimes normal home upkeep can make aging in place difficult. Catholic Social Services Washtenaw County’s Home Maintenance and Safety Services program allows older adults maintain their independence and keep them safe in their homes. Today on the blog, Brian Dick, Home Services Manager, will outline what the Home Maintenance and Safety Services program can and cannot do, who they work with, and how to get involved.  

 

Senior Resource Connect: If you had to give an “elevator speech” about what your programs do, how would you describe them? 

Brian Dick: Senior Home Services helps Washtenaw County seniors (those aged 60 and better) with a number of standardized safety devices and home maintenance tasks, so the senior can continue living in the place they know to be home. 

 

SRC: Walk me through the step-by-step process. What happens when you get a phone call/referral? 

BD: First, expect to leave a voice mail message explaining your needs when you call. When returning calls, we’ll discuss fully what types of home maintenance and/or safety devices can be provided. We will also complete a brief “intake” questionnaire during the call, collecting basic demographic information. Once that’s completed, we’ll schedule a date and time for our employees to visit your home and provide assistance. 

 

SRC: What are some examples of services you can and cannot provide with your programs? 

BD: Our highest priority work is installing safety devices, including: grab bars for the bathtub/shower, shower chairs and transfer benches, hand-held shower heads and holders, raised toilet sets, and handrails. The next priority is interior home maintenance concerns: replacing fuses and lightbulbs, smoke/CO detector batteries that are difficult to reach, replacing door locks and window catches, weather stripping doors and windows, installation/removal of portable air conditioning units, repairing/replacing mailboxes, and installing outside markers (e.g., house numbers). Lowest priority is assigned to tasks related to exterior maintenance, including tree trimming, window washing, and eavestrough cleaning. 

Tasks with which we cannot assist include: electrical and plumbing work inside walls, accessibility ramps for the disabled, stair-climbing assistance devices, change of residence activities, moving or rearranging furniture, de-cluttering the home, removal of yard waste, or any task intended to increase the aesthetic or resale value of a home. 

 

SRC: What organizations do you work closely with? 

BD: Most Washtenaw seniors contact Senior Home Services directly, having heard of us from friends or family by word-of-mouth. Michigan Visiting Nurses, the Washtenaw County Health Department, and Trinity Health/IHA healthcare services refer many senior patients in need of safety devices. We are also allied with Jewish Family Services, Ypsilanti Meals on Wheels, and similar programs. 

 

SRC: What are some things you wish the public knew about your role? 

BD: The devices and services we provide are standardized – meaning that we have one variety of each safety device, plus a standard collection of tools and skills for completing maintenance tasks. When a senior’s need falls outside the range of our standard abilities, we cannot invest additional resources to create alternative solutions, but move immediately along to the next person awaiting service. 

As a common example — we do have a standard handrail for installation at the entry to your home, but there are a number of factors that prevent one from being installed properly. If we cannot complete a task in the manner we know to be correct, we do not attempt to create alternatives or provide “patchwork” solutions. 

 

SRC: What tips do you have for someone with a loved one that needs help with basic home repairs or home safety? 

BD: Do not delay in responding to small concerns! If your senior loved one mentions that something seems “wrong” about their home – the furnace sounded funny last night, a strange smell in the kitchen, anything – act on that information immediately. The senior knows what their home is supposed to be like, so if they’re telling you that something’s wrong, it is. Investigating the “funny sound” at once may amount to replacing a $10 filter, or $100 component. Dismissal, delay, and disinterest, however, result in $2000 furnace unit replacements that suddenly ballon to $5000 when it’s discovered the ductwork must also be replaced to accommodate modern equipment standards. 

 

SRC: Is there anything you would like to add? 

BD: Two things. Along with funding, time is another resources Senior Home Services has in very short supply, so we cannot provide emergency service of any kind at this time. Neither can we “adopt” senior clients in the same manner as a case manager, pursuing every concern to completion. Senior Home Services is not the “final solution” for senior safety and maintenance concerns, so seniors and their families actively search for additional assistance at all times. 

Also, we have very limited financial assistance available to purchase devices/services which address safety concerns only. This funding is available on a bi-monthly basis, with the next opportunities occurring in September and November 2025. As with all of our work, highest priority is given to those who have urgent needs- no supply of fresh water entering their home, or sewage flowing out of the home. No funds are provided to seniors directly, only to the service provider completing the needed work. Those interested in this program may contact Senior Home Services and ask about the Home Safe Senior Initiative (HSSI). 

 

Thank you so much to Brian for sharing information about this crucial resource. To learn more about the CCWC Home Maintenance and Safety Services program, visit the website or contact Brian at (734) 971-9781, ext. 352.