Introduction to Leave or Stay
Discovering that your home may be affecting your health can be overwhelming. One of the first questions people ask is, “Do I need to leave?” Unfortunately, there isn’t a simple yes-or-no answer.
The decision to stay, temporarily relocate, or permanently move depends on many factors—including your individual health, the condition of the home, your financial situation, and the resources available to you. Making the right decision requires understanding both the person and the environment.
In this course, you’ll learn a practical framework for making informed decisions. We’ll begin by helping you understand your own sensitivity to mold and water-damaged buildings, including who is most at risk, how to recognize common biotoxin symptom patterns, and why medical evaluation may play an important role. You’ll also learn how your personal health interacts with the condition of your home, why environmental assessment is essential, and how these two pieces fit together.
Finally, we’ll walk through the practical realities of relocating. Whether you’re considering a temporary move while your home is being repaired or a permanent relocation, you’ll learn how to find a healthier place to live, what to bring with you, how to reduce the risk of transferring contamination, and how different considerations apply to renters and homeowners.
The goal of this course isn’t to tell you whether you should leave your home. It’s to give you the knowledge and framework to make one of the most important decisions of your recovery with greater confidence.
Lesson at a Glance
When you’re concerned about your home’s indoor environment, your first priority isn’t solving the entire problem—it’s reducing unnecessary exposure while you determine what to do next.
This course introduces the three Emergency Triage strategies that form the first step of the Roadmap to Recovery:
- Isolation helps contain known sources of contamination to reduce the spread of airborne particles.
- Separation creates distance between occupants and suspected problem areas while additional information is gathered.
- Filtration removes airborne particles from the air throughout the home, helping reduce overall exposure regardless of the source.
You’ll also learn how to build affordable Corsi-Rosenthal air filtration systems that provide excellent filtration performance at a fraction of the cost of many commercial air purifiers.
Emergency Triage isn’t a permanent solution. It’s a practical first-aid approach that helps stabilize the situation, reduce exposure, and give you time to make informed decisions about the next phase of recovery.
Don’t worry about choosing perfectly—simply select the scenario that most closely reflects what you know today.
Key Takeaways
- Emergency Triage is the first step—not the final solution. Its purpose is to reduce exposure while you gather information and determine the best long-term course of action.
- Start with the strategy that matches your situation. Your current circumstances determine whether Isolation, Separation, or Filtration should be your first priority.
- Isolation contains known sources. When you’ve identified contaminated materials or a specific problem area, temporary containment can help reduce particle spread.
- Separation protects occupants. Creating distance from suspected problem areas can reduce exposure while you continue investigating.
- Filtration benefits nearly every situation. Removing airborne particles throughout the home can help reduce exposure, even when the source hasn’t been identified.
- Simple, temporary actions can make a meaningful difference. Emergency Triage helps stabilize the situation so you can make informed decisions without feeling rushed.
Next Steps
You’re now ready to begin the Emergency Triage strategy that’s most appropriate for your situation.
Review the three options below and select the one that best matches your current circumstances. Don’t worry about choosing perfectly—simply select the scenario that most closely reflects what you know today. If your situation changes as you learn more, you can always return and follow a different path.
Choose one of the following to continue: