Language you can use
You do not have to open with "I think you might fall." You can open with "I did a short check, and this is what it said."
Help them stay independent at home in 2026, without a fight, without a move, and without guessing
In this free two-minute check, you will name what you have noticed, see what it adds up to, and know the one next step. Even if they still say they are fine.
Take the Independence Check
About two minutes. You answer from what you have seen. Prefer to talk first? Call or text (954) 361-4446.
Anyone can take it
Visit offered only if they are nearby
Built to protect independence
One-page result by email
Your first step costs nothing
The Independence Check
For sons and daughters of a parent who still lives at home. Written with Angel Baricelli, PT, DPT, MS.
- 12 short questions, plus one about time alone. You answer from what you have seen: falls, near-falls, walking, getting up, the home, medicines, vision, and whether you worry they might fall when nobody is there.
- A score out of 28, in one of four bands. Lower current risk, emerging, high, or very high. It tells you whether the signs are worth a closer look. It does not predict what will happen.
- Your details come before the score. Name, email, phone, your parent's ZIP code, and how you prefer to be contacted. Then you see the result.
- A next step that fits where they live. Near Fort Lauderdale, you can book a baseline visit. Farther away, you still get the one-page result to share with their own doctor.
Today: $0 to see what you have already noticed, in one page.
Take the Independence Check
You see the result before anyone asks you to book a visit.
What you get
A clear picture, without a confrontation
The signs that get missed
A near-fall. Furniture-walking. Trouble getting off the toilet. Stopping the walk because it no longer feels safe. The things you notice, then talk yourself out of.
What a low score means
Few warning signs is good news. It is not a reason to do nothing. Strength, balance, and stamina can fade before the first fall. A baseline protects the independence they still have.
What a higher score asks
More than one warning sign means look closer. Not panic. Not "they have to move this week." A therapist can separate what can change from what cannot.
How long they might be alone
Living alone does not, by itself, make a fall more likely. It can make the wait for help longer. That answer is there so you know. It does not change the score.
What this is not
Not a diagnosis. Not a government score. You get the result first. A visit comes after, and only if they live near Fort Lauderdale.
The details
What "just keep an eye on them" never gives you
- A way to raise it without sounding as if you are taking their home away.
- Why no fall yet is not the same as no change. The useful window is while they are still at home, still saying they are fine.
- A rug is not the whole job. The check separates a hazard you can fix this weekend from a change in strength that a rug grip will not solve.
- Four bands, and a next step in every one. A past-year fall, frequent unsteadiness, or a family that is seriously worried still recommends a closer look, whatever the total says.
- What a baseline visit looks at, if they live near Fort Lauderdale: balance, leg strength, walking, getting up, endurance, and the home.
One result, not a stack of guides
What arrives after you finish
The score
A number out of 28, and one of four bands. It describes the signs you reported. It does not tell you what will happen to your parent.
The one-page result
Shown after your details are in, and sent to the email you gave. It names the specific signs your answers raised.
A next step that fits where they live
Near Fort Lauderdale, a baseline visit with Angel, at home or at the clinic. Farther away, the one-page result, so you can take it to their own doctor.
How it works
The old way, and this way
What usually happens
- You mention it. They say they are fine. You wait, because talking about a move feels like a fight.
- You search late at night and get "be careful," "get a rug grip," or "it's just age."
- Careful does not rebuild leg strength. A rug grip does not teach them how to get off a low chair.
The Independence Check
- You answer what you have actually seen in the last 6 to 12 months.
- You get a score before anyone asks you to book a visit.
- If they are nearby, you can book a baseline. If they are not, you still leave with a page for their own clinician.
If this is you
Three situations this check is built for
"She is proud of living alone. I do not want to insult her."
The check gives you language that is about keeping that life, not ending it. A low or emerging score is a reason for a baseline, not a reason to start packing.
"No fall yet. I still do not like how they get out of the chair."
That is the useful window. Strength, balance, walking, and endurance can be looked at before a fall sets the timetable.
"I am not in the house. I do not know how long they would be alone."
The extra question is for this. It does not decide a move. It tells you how exposed they are.
Does this fit
The useful time is while they are still independent
Your parent lives alone, and is proud of it
They have fallen once, or more than once, in the past year
You have seen a near-fall they laughed off
They have stopped the walks, the clubs, or time with the grandchildren
Getting up from the chair, the toilet, or the bed has become a project
You live in another state and want a clear page before you call their doctor
You can see the change. You cannot yet tell whether it is a bad week, a fixable loss of strength, or the start of a slower, more cautious life. Anyone can finish the check. A visit is offered only if they live near Fort Lauderdale.
What you can count on
The check is free. You are not asked to book a visit until you have seen the score.
- You see the score only after your details are in.
- The score describes the signs you reported. It is not a diagnosis, and it is not a prediction.
- A low score is a reason to protect the strength they still have. A high score is a reason to look closer, not a reason to pack.
- If they live outside the area we cover, you still get the result for their own doctor.
The short version
If you only read this
- Who it is for: adult children who want a parent to keep living at home
- The check: 12 questions, plus one about how long they might be alone
- What you get: a score out of 28, four bands, and a one-page result by email
- What it costs: nothing
- If they are nearby: a baseline visit, in the home or at the clinic
- If they are not: the result, to share with their own doctor
Questions
Before you start
Will this work if my parent has not fallen?
Yes. That is the point of the lower band. No recent fall can still sit next to weaker legs, a shorter walk, and a home that has not been looked at. The result will not tell you to forget it. It also will not tell you they are about to fall.
Who is this for?
Sons and daughters whose parent still lives at home, often in their 70s or 80s. You can live anywhere. A visit is offered only if they live near Fort Lauderdale.
How is this different from a pamphlet?
A pamphlet does not know if they have fallen twice, if they furniture-walk, or if they would be alone until evening. The result is built from your answers, then emailed to you.
Is the score a medical diagnosis?
No. It tells you whether the signs you are already seeing are worth a professional look. It does not tell you the odds. It is not a CDC tool, and it is not endorsed by the CDC.
Do I have to book a visit to see my score?
No. You give your contact details, then you see the score. A visit is offered after that, and only if your parent is in the area we cover. You can stop at the result.
What if my parent refuses to talk about it?
You can still take the check. It is about what you have noticed. A visit only happens if they agree.
We do not live in Florida. Can we still take it?
Yes. You get the score and the one-page result. Use it with their own doctor or therapist. A visit with Angel is only offered if they live near Fort Lauderdale.
Is therapy covered by insurance?
If a visit leads to treatment, coverage is checked before anything starts. This page does not promise coverage, and Stellar is not affiliated with Medicare or any government agency.
You already know why you are here.
You have seen the walk change, or you have had the phone call, or you are the one in the family who is paying attention. The check will not move them out of their home. It will not promise they will never fall. It will give you one page you can use.
Then you decide.
Take the Independence CheckOr call (954) 361-4446.
Angel Baricelli, PT, DPT, MSStellar Physical Therapy & Wellness, Fort Lauderdale and surrounding areas