Pick the CDC brochure
If you want to finish tonight with a pen. It is short, plain and printable, and every question has a fix right under it.
What is the best free aging in place checklist?
The best free aging in place checklist depends on the job: the CDC's Check for Safety is the quickest fall check, AARP's checklist is the widest for planning changes, and NIA's room-by-room page explains the most, but none of them tracks whether the fixes actually get done.
We make RoomMend, an iPhone app for that last part, so read the table with that in mind. We checked each checklist on its publisher's own page in November 2026. Item counts are our count and approximate.
| Checklist | From, date | Format | Size | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Check for Safety | CDC, 2017 | Printable brochure, English and Spanish | ~16 questions, 5 areas | A one-sitting fall check with a fix for each problem |
| Preventing Falls at Home: Room by Room | NIA, reviewed 2022 | Web page with print option | ~28 tips, 6 areas | Understanding why each change helps |
| Aging in Place Checklist | AARP, Dec 2021 | Web article, links the HomeFit Guide | ~42 items, 10 areas | Planning renovations and long-term changes |
| Safe at Home Checklist | Rebuilding Together, AoA, AOTA | PDF, suggestions on the back | Not stated | Pairing hazards with modification ideas |
| RoomMend (ours) | Honest Little Apps, 2026 | iPhone app, works offline | Walkthroughs for 8+ room types | Tracking fixes, owners, dates and rechecks |
Rebuilding Together details are from the USC / NCOA home assessment inventory (2026); we did not count its items.
Free checklist questions
Is there a free aging in place checklist?
Yes, several. The CDC's Check for Safety brochure, the National Institute on Aging's room-by-room fall prevention page, AARP's aging in place checklist and the Rebuilding Together Safe at Home checklist are all free to read or print.
Which aging in place checklist is the most complete?
By count, AARP's article is the longest of the ones we checked, with about 42 items across 10 areas including entries, doors and the yard. Longer is not always better: the CDC brochure's roughly 16 questions are quicker to finish in one go.
Is the CDC Check for Safety brochure still current?
It is dated 2017 and is still offered by the CDC as a free printable in English and Spanish. The basics it covers, such as throw rugs, stair lighting and bathroom grab bars, have not changed.
What does an aging in place checklist not cover?
Most skip the follow-through: who is fixing what, by when, and whether it was checked again. They also cannot see your home. For a professional view, an occupational therapist or a certified aging-in-place specialist can visit.
Can I get a free home safety assessment instead?
Sometimes. Local Area Agencies on Aging, fire departments and nonprofit repair programs run them in some places. We list who offers them on our free home safety assessment page.
Is RoomMend an aging in place assessment?
No. RoomMend organizes your own notes and plans. It is not a home inspection, safety certification or fall-risk assessment, and it does not detect hazards in photos.
Who should pick which checklist
Pick NIA
If you or a parent want to know why: why light switches belong at both ends of the stairs, why to hold the handrail even while carrying something.
Pick AARP
If you are planning a bathroom remodel or a move-in-for-the-long-haul. It covers doors, entries and the yard, which the shorter lists skip.
Pick RoomMend
If the checklist part is done and the problem is follow-through. Use any of the three above to find things; use RoomMend to get them fixed and look again.
A checklist finds the loose rug. Something else has to make sure it's gone in March.
What RoomMend looks like
Honest limits
- RoomMend is not a home inspection, safety certification or fall-risk assessment, and it does not detect hazards in photos.
- "Reported completed" means someone said a job was done. The app does not verify it.
- iPhone only. The CDC brochure works for anyone with a printer.
- Free: every walkthrough, unlimited rooms and notes, the fix list, reminders, rechecks, side-by-side compare and room PDFs. RoomMend Plus is a one-time purchase for more homes, more photos per room, the whole-home binder PDF and the full timeline. No subscriptions.
One design decision we made: every walkthrough question shows its source, so you can check our wording against the CDC or NIA original, the same way we checked theirs for this page.
Try it tonight
Print the CDC brochure if you like paper. Then put what you find into RoomMend so it gets fixed. RoomMend on the App Store.
Updated November 2026. Checklists checked on their publishers' pages in November 2026.
Related
- RoomMend: a room-by-room home safety checklistA room-by-room home safety checklist for your home or a parent's: note what you notice in three taps, plan the fix, recheck in 30 days.
- What to do after an elderly parent fallsYour parent fell at home. What to do in the first hour, the first week and the first month, with a free fix-plan calculator for their rooms.
- Where to get a free home safety assessment for seniorsWho offers free home safety assessments for seniors: fire and EMS programs, Area Agencies on Aging, repair nonprofits, plus a check to do tonight.
- Holiday home safety check for parentsHome for the holidays? Walk six spots in a parent's house, front step to night route, with CDC and NIA checks and a 10-minute fix for each.