Despite an individual’s illness or prognosis, advances in integrative medicine and holistic approaches to health care now consider the built environment to be a significant factor in enhancing health and maintaining optimum wellness. In fact, many medical professionals now widely consider the suitability of one’s home or workplace a key to managing the symptoms of health conditions, aging, or serious illnesses.

Environmental conditions are often a factor in the individual’s health, sometimes causing an illness, exacerbating an existing condition, or complicating severe symptoms accompanying a life-altering illness. In some cases, the environment can become unhealthy, compromise the body’s systems, and in some cases, become life threatening.

The environment is such a significant factor in recovery and symptom management that home health care professionals are often asked to identify those things in the home which could cause or increase illness, decrease immunity, erode air quality, and other factors. However, medical personnel are not trained as specialists in the field. “What if they miss something?” Your home environment is often overlooked.

For most people, identifying and addressing environmental factors negatively influencing health and wellness is a difficult issue. We as human have deep seated feelings about “home,” as a place of safety.

If our home is unwell or is unworkable in the context of illness, it can bring up emotional issues for every member of the household, not just the person who is sick. “How do I deal with my feelings of inadequacy? Have I failed as a caregiver?”

A family faced with serving the health and wellness needs of a family member may have no idea where to begin, or how to afford the work that is needed to improve the conditions in their home. “Where do we start?” “Where am I going to find the money?”

Don’t let these factors stand between you
and your optimum health and wellness!