Why refer
What arrives on your desk.
A written report within three business days of the visit, covering 143 checkpoints across twelve categories. Every dimensional finding is measured on site with a laser distance measurer accurate to ±1.5 mm — doorway widths, clearances, threshold heights, grab bar positions, bed and seat heights, stair treads and risers.
None of it carries a clinical opinion. No judgement is offered about function, capacity, or whether someone should remain at home. That is yours, and the report is deliberately written so it stays yours.
Measured, not estimated
Dimensions taken on site, not paced out or eyeballed. Findings with no dimension say so rather than implying a number.
Three business days
Useful when a discharge date is set and the home has not been looked at. Booked directly, with no waiting list.
No referral fees
Nothing is paid to you and nothing is asked of you. No commission is taken from any contractor, in either direction.
The division of labour
Where the line sits.
Yours: function, strength, balance, cognition, task performance, equipment prescription, AADL authorisation, technique training, clinical judgement.
Ours: the building. Dimensions, surfaces, lighting, fittings, layout, and how they perform against the way the occupant moves.
Nothing here substitutes for a clinical assessment, and the report is explicit about that on its own front page. Where AADL requires clinical assessment by an authorised professional, it requires you — this report cannot and does not stand in.
Common cases
When this is worth a referral.
A discharge date is set and nobody has seen the house
The family is told the parent comes home in a week. Someone needs to establish whether the bathroom, the entry steps and the bedroom route will work, and what it costs to fix what will not.
You saw two rooms, the family needs twelve
Your visit was scoped to the task at issue. The family wants a whole-home picture with costs and a sequence, which is a different product and not a good use of your hours.
Your recommendations need pricing and sequencing
You have identified what needs to change. The report measures each item, attaches a Calgary price, ranks by safety impact per dollar, and prices each fix at current Calgary rates.
The family is waiting and wants to act meanwhile
Environmental changes can proceed while a clinical referral works through the system. The report gives them a defensible order to work in rather than guesswork.
Practicalities
How a referral works.
| Who arranges it | The family, directly. You are not the client and take on no obligation. |
| Who pays | The family. $395 to $595 + GST by home size, quoted before booking. |
| Turnaround | Visit booked directly; written report by email within three business days. |
| Getting the report | The report belongs to the family. They may share it with you, and it is structured so that they can. |
| What you are asked for | Nothing. No fee, no reciprocal referral, no paperwork. |
| Who performs the visit | Carl Christie, SHSS and RHFAC Professional. Any other assessor holds the SHSS designation and is named to the family before the visit. Credentials and verification → |
The full 43-page sample report is published, with the client's identity changed and the findings intact. Read what is inside it, or download the PDF. The method and ranking formula are published too.
Scope, stated plainly
What we will never do.
No clinical opinion
No assessment of function, cognition, balance or capacity. No view on whether someone can stay at home.
No equipment prescription
Equipment recommendations that require clinical authorisation are yours. AADL routes through you, not us.
No certification
Not a code or accessibility certification. CSA/ASC B652:23 is used as a dimensional reference point, not a compliance test.
No contradiction of your plan
Where an OT is involved, the report presents environmental measurements. It does not second-guess a clinical recommendation.
Questions before you refer anyone? Email info@novoseniorsafety.com or call 587-907-3566 and ask directly.