FuncFunctional Independence and Mobility Assessment
Understand Your Body.
Protect Your Independence.
Your body changes throughout life.
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Some changes happen gradually.
Others appear more suddenly.
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Understanding those changes is the first step toward preserving the activities that make life meaningful.
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Project Independence is an evidence-informed Functional Independence Assessment designed to help you understand, preserve, improve, or recover the functional abilities that support everyday life.
Does Any of This Sound Familiar?
STANDING UP
Getting out of a chair takes more effort.
Many of these changes happen so gradually that we do not notice them until they begin affecting everyday life.
STAIRS
You find yourself thinking more carefully about each step.
BALANCE
Standing on one leg doesn't feel as steady as it used to
MOVEMENT
You hesitate before bending, kneeling, or reaching.
Understanding Comes Before Improvement
Before deciding what to do, it helps to understand what your body is already doing.
Our body is constantly adapting.
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Sometimes those adaptations help you.
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Sometimes they quietly change the way you move.
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If climbing stairs becomes uncomfortable, you may begin using the handrail more often.
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If standing on one leg feels less steady, you may avoid movements that challenge your balance.
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Over time, those small adjustments can become your new normal.
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Not because your body stopped changing...
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but because it found another way to accomplish the task.
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Understanding these adaptations is where Project Independence begins.
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When you recognize them, you can begin making informed decisions about preserving the abilities that matter most to your everyday life.
Challenge
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Adaptation
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New Movement Pattern
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New Way of Moving
Observe
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Understand
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Decide
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Act
The Independence Method
Most people try to solve problems after they become limitations.
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Project Independence takes a different approach.
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It begins by helping you recognize changes before they become barriers.
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Instead of asking,
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"What exercise should I do?"
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we first ask,
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"What ability is changing?"
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Because preserving independence isn't about collecting exercises.
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It's about understanding the abilities that make everyday life possible.
Observe
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Notice meaningful changes before they become limitations.
Understand
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Learn why those changes are happening.
Prioritize
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Identify which abilities matter most to your everyday life.
Build
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Develop practical strategies to support those abilities.
Continue
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Monitor progress and adapt as your needs change.
The Functional Independence Review
A structured way to understand how your body is changing—and what you can realistically do about it.
Most people notice changes long before they know what those changes mean.
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Maybe climbing stairs feels different.
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Maybe getting off the floor takes more effort.
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Maybe your balance isn't quite what it used to be.
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The Functional Independence Review is designed to help you understand those changes before they become unnecessary limitations.
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It doesn't begin with exercises.
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It begins with observation.
Step 1 -Â Observe
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We begin by identifying the abilities that support your everyday life and discussing the changes you've already noticed.
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Step 2 -Â Understand
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We explore which physical abilities may be contributing to those changes and distinguish between what is likely modifiable and what may require adaptation.
Step 3 -Â Prioritize
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Not every limitation deserves the same attention.
Together, we identify the abilities that matter most for your independence and daily activities.
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Step 4 -Â Plan
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You receive practical recommendations focused on preserving or improving the abilities that can still change through purposeful practice.
Step 5 -Â Continue
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Because your body continues to adapt, your plan should evolve with it.
Progress is reviewed and updated over time as needed.
The goal isn't perfection.
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The goal is understanding.
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When you understand your body, you make better decisions.
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When you make better decisions, you create better conditions for positive adaptation.
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That is the purpose of the Functional Independence Review.
Your future abilities are shaped by today's decisions.
You cannot stop time.
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But you can influence how well your body continues to support your everyday life.
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Every meaningful ability—from climbing stairs to getting off the floor, from playing with grandchildren to traveling with confidence—depends on the adaptations your body continues to make.
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Project Independence is not about chasing youth.
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It is about understanding your body well enough to protect the abilities that matter most.
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Because independence isn't preserved by accident.
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It's preserved through informed decisions.