Episode 15:4 Sydney Marshman on Frugal Aging and the “Biggest Bang for the Buck”

The founder and CEO of Happy at Home Consulting in Iowa shares the company’s progression from humble roots to a sophisticated offering of home modification and wellness consultations, resource navigation, safety evaluations, and community partnerships.

About Sydney

Sydney Marshman, OTD, OTR/L, is the founder and CEO of Happy at Home Consulting based in Des Moines, Iowa. In her own family's struggles with keeping Nana safe at home, Sydney recognized the unique role of occupational therapy in assessing how environmental factors contribute to aging well at home. Happy at Home provides therapy at home to older adults with her team of physical, occupational and speech therapists. In addition to traditional rehabilitative services, Sydney continues to increase access to home safety evaluations throughout the state.

Happy at Home presently provides the evidenced-based programs CAPABLE and HARP through collaborations with community partners. Sydney is presently acting as the President-Elect of the Iowa Occupational Therapy Association and advocates for accessible housing through her involvement with multiple state coalitions. She received her Doctorate of Occupational Therapy from Drake University. In her free time, Sydney enjoys spending time with her husband, son, and their three dogs. 

Key Takeaways 

• The CAPABLE program  run by Iowa’s Connections Area Agency on Aging helps older adults function safely in their homes. Participants receive up to 6 visits with an Occupational Therapist (OT), 4 visits with a Registered Nurse (RN), and minor home repairs/modifications and/or assistive devices to help individuals age in place and prevent falls.
•  The majority of falls occur in the bathroom. It is considered a high-risk environment.
•  Assisted technologies are game changers but need to meet people’s level of comfort with technology, the OT may recommend low-tech solutions like motion sensor nightlights, or high-tech solutions like smart home environmental control units.
• The Area Agency on Aging (AAA) offers resource navigation and a list of providers and services in each state. The AAA Assistive Technology Program allows older adults to check out technologies for 30 days at no cost.