Not a diagnosis
We observe, measure and document. We do not name conditions or tell you what a finding means. Interpretation belongs to a physician.
Neurological assessments at home
Subtle neurological changes — in speech, balance, coordination, memory, or alertness — are exactly what emergency responders are trained to detect in seconds. A Salus neurological assessment applies that trained eye calmly and preventively: structured screening at home, documented over time, so small changes get noticed and raised with your loved one's physician early.
The screening visit
What a screening visit includes
- Alertness & orientation screening
- Speech & coordination checks
- Strength & sensation basics
- Balance evaluation
- Early-change documentation for physicians
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Straight answer
What is an in-home neurological assessment?
An in-home neurological assessment is a structured, non-invasive screening of how someone's nervous system is working day to day — speech, balance, coordination, orientation, alertness and limb strength. A Salus Firefighter/Paramedic carries it out in the person's own living room, records exactly what was observed, and passes anything unusual to their physician.
No needles, no machines, nothing that feels like an exam. It sits inside a longer visit, takes about fifteen minutes, and uses the rapid checks emergency crews run on scene — slowed down and explained as we go.
Setting matters: someone walks their own hallway differently than a clinic corridor, so screening where they live reflects how they actually move. Our guide to preventive paramedic care explains how Salus Paramedic Care sits alongside the doctors already involved.
The screening
What we screen
Six areas, checked identically each time so results can be compared, not guessed at.
- Speech and word-findingWhether words arrive easily, or a familiar name takes longer to surface than before.
- Balance and coordinationStanding steadiness, turning and hand-to-target movements — what shifts quietly before a fall.
- Orientation and recallAwareness of day and place, and whether recall matches earlier visits.
- AlertnessHow readily someone engages, and whether they seem duller or drowsier than usual.
- Grip and symmetryLeft compared with right. New one-sided weakness is documented and reported same-day.
- Pupil responseA brief light check for size, equality and reaction.
The value of a baseline
Why a subtle change is worth noticing
Families are badly placed to spot gradual change, through no fault of their own. You see someone weekly, so each small step down looks like last week's person. Occasional visitors notice more, but have no idea what normal looked like six months ago.
A written baseline closes that gap. With the same six checks recorded visit after visit, a change stops being a feeling and becomes specific — speech slower than in March, grip weaker on the left than in May. A physician can act on that, and it is the shift described in our piece on warning signs worth a phone call.
Neurological drift rarely travels alone. Unsteadiness surfaces again in a fall risk assessment, and readings gathered through vital signs monitoring often sit beside it — which is why families across Miami book these together.
Clear boundaries
What this screening is not
Being direct about the limits is part of doing this responsibly.
Not a dementia test
Cognitive screening here is orientation and recall only. Formal memory evaluation is specialist work, and we say so plainly when it looks warranted.
Not a replacement for a neurologist
Where something looks unusual, our role ends at a written report and a recommendation to be seen. We screen and refer, never treat or prescribe.
Emergencies
When to call 911 instead
Salus visits are scheduled and preventive; they are not emergency response. Sudden trouble speaking, a drooping face, weakness down one side or a sudden severe headache are reasons to call 911 straight away, not reasons to book a visit. If any appear while our paramedic is in the home, we activate 911 on the spot.
Questions
Neurological screening, answered
We document it clearly and recommend prompt follow-up with their physician. For sudden signs — facial droop, one-sided weakness, trouble speaking — we treat it as the emergency it is and activate 911.
No referral is needed — families book directly. We do ask who the treating physician is, because the summary is only worth producing if it reaches someone who can act on it.
There is no score and nothing to pass. Each step is explained before it happens, and if she would rather skip part of it we note that and move on.
Frequency and setting. A physician sees your parent briefly and occasionally; we repeat identical checks on a schedule at home. We supply the comparison over time — they interpret it.
Services families pair with this one
Primary Health Assessments
Where your loved one's health stands right now — status, medications, concerns.
Learn moreFall Risk Assessments
Gait, strength, footwear and the home itself, reviewed by paramedics who answer fall calls.
Learn moreWellness Monitoring
Recurring visits that turn single observations into a trend your family and doctor can read.
Learn moreEstablish a baseline while things are steady
Start with a $99 introductory visit — no membership required, no pressure, honest answers.