Preparing Your Home For Discharge

• Remove all scatter rugs, doorway obstacles and hazards that may interfere with your getting around safely.
• Buy bags of salt/sand if icy weather anticipated and have your "support buddy” maintain entrances to home.
• Remove cords, clutter, decorative plants/objects from floors.
• Ensure there are handrails on all staircases indoors and out.
• It may be a good idea to prepare food and freeze meals so that you will not have to cook meals.
• Stock up on canned foods, frozen meals.
• Reorganize cupboards and fridge so that most commonly used items are at waist level and within easy reach.
• Get a waist carryall to carry small things around your house, to keep your hands free to use the walker or cane.
• Prepare your bath area with grab bars, hand held shower and a bath chair that you will need for personal hygiene when you first go home and bathmat or non slip coating for shower and tub. Hip patients will also require a raised toilet seat which can be purchased or rented before surgery from a medical supply store. Click to see a current list of medical equipment suppliers.
• Be sure lightbulbs are freshly changed and hallways, stairs, bathroom are well lit.
• Install nightlights from sleep area to bathroom.
• Cancel any services you will not need while you are in hospital ie. Homemakers, milk delivery.
• Have your "support buddy” prepared with a key for mailbox, housekey, instructions for pets/plants etc.
• Furniture - select a chair that is fairly firm, at least knee height, with arms to be used for the first several weeks upon your return home. If chairs are low, buy firm cushions to make them higher.
• Your bed mattress should be at least knee height as well, if not, consider putting an old mattress underneath it to raise it higher.
• You may choose to make a bedroom for yourself on the main level if your home has a long staircase for the first 6 weeks at home.