Shawn Gerstenberger is one of few doctors in Southern Nevada who still makes house calls. Although in his case, the house -- not its owner -- is the patient.
The UNLV professor heads the Nevada Healthy Homes Partnership, a collaboration between the university, the Southern Nevada Health District, and more than a dozen community partners to identify and eliminate preventable health issues in the homes of Nevada residents.
"Most people, especially children and elderly, spend more than 90 percent of their day indoors; yet we tend to not think about preserving our home environment like we do the outdoor environment," said Gerstenberger, senior associate dean of the School of Community Health Sciences. "By visiting homes, educating homeowners, and making a few simple fixes, we can greatly enhance quality of life for many who may not have the resources or ability to make necessary improvements."
Gerstenberger and a team of UNLV graduate students - all federally certified healthy homes inspectors - provide free home inspections for Southern Nevada residents to identify common home health hazards, including:
- Asthma triggers (mold, cockroaches and pests, dust, and dust mites)
- Poisoning hazards (lead-based paint, asbestos, improperly stored medicines, and cleaning supplies)
- Unintentional injuries (eliminating fall and trip hazards, installing pool fencing and smoke detectors)
The inspections often lead to simple fixes, like replacing air filters, repairing leaky pipes, and installing smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. When complicated structural repairs are needed, Gerstenberger calls on partner agencies help homeowners make the necessary repairs, often at little or no cost.
"As homes age, they can deteriorate and present challenges homeowners don't even know exist," Gerstenberger said. "A pest problem could be from an interior water leak, which also presents mold and asthma triggers. That could lead to missed school and work as well as more serious health issues."
Inspections are free for all homeowners, but priority is given to low-income residents or those who otherwise would be unable to afford the repairs. Referrals for home inspections come either directly from a homeowner or through a network of local physicians, nurses, code enforcement officers, and community partners.
UNLV also serves as a national healthy homes training center -- the only one in Nevada -- preparing hundreds of first responders, health officials, and community members to become healthy homes inspectors.
Healthy Homes is an extension of the Southern Nevada Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention program and is supported by grant funding from the U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. To request a home inspection or learn more about Healthy Homes, call 702-895-5449 or visit nvhhp.org.
