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Most families never run the actual numbers before deciding a home modification is "too expensive." New Cost of Care data puts a real dollar figure next to the alternative: $74,400 a year for assisted living, well over $100,000 for a nursing home room. Once that number is on the table, the modification budget looks different.

ASTHO's new report on rural falls prevention shows what happens when states stop treating clinical screening and community programs as separate systems. Iowa and Oklahoma both closed that gap, and the results are a direct lesson for OTs and community partners.

A new peer-reviewed study tracked 25 older adults through HUD's home modification program and measured what changed before and after occupational therapy-led interventions: safety ratings up 48% on average, accessibility up 52%. Here's what the data shows, and what it doesn't.

Most families assume home modifications are entirely out-of-pocket. They aren't. Federal, VA, and state Medicaid programs exist to help cover the cost — but only if someone knows to ask the right questions.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects occupational therapy employment will grow 14 percent between 2024 and 2034. That is more than four times the average growth rate across all occupations. The field isn't just growing. It is growing faster than it can fill its own seats. National vacancy rates hover near 9 percent. More than two-thirds of employers report difficulty hiring OTs. Rural areas are harder hit. Wait times are stretching. And the demographic pressure behind all