Returning Home After a Hospital Stay: An Equipment Checklist

Most people need at minimum a raised toilet seat, a shower chair, and a walking aid appropriate to their discharge mobility level, ready before they walk back through the front door. Hospitals often discharge faster than families expect, so having a short checklist ready in advance avoids a stressful last-minute scramble.

Ask the discharge team these questions

• What is my current weight-bearing status, and does that affect what walking aid I need?
• Are there any movement restrictions I need to plan the bathroom and bedroom around?
• Has a hospital occupational therapist already recommended specific equipment?
• Is a home visit or telehealth OT assessment available before or shortly after discharge?

Hospital OTs frequently provide a written equipment list tailored to the specific surgery or condition. Treat that list as the priority, and use this page as a general starting point if no specific list has been given.

Bathroom: set this up first

• Raised toilet seat or frame - almost universally useful after any surgery, illness, or hospital stay involving reduced strength or mobility restrictions.
• Shower chair - reduces fall risk from day one, when strength and balance are both often reduced compared to pre-admission.
• Non-slip mat for the shower or bath floor.

Getting around the house

• A walking frame or four-wheel rollator matched to the hospital's recommended level, not what feels least conspicuous. Hospital physiotherapists set weight-bearing and stability guidance for good reason.
• Clear, wide pathways through the home for whatever walking aid is being used, since hospital corridors are typically wider than a home hallway.

Bedroom

• Bed rail if the bed is low or soft, to assist getting in and out safely.
• Overbed table or bedside table within easy reach, positioned so nothing important requires bending or twisting to reach.

Daily living

• Long-handled reacher - useful almost universally in the first weeks home, regardless of the specific surgery or illness.
• Dressing aids (sock aid, long-handled shoe horn) if bending is restricted.

Funding

Short-term post-hospital equipment is sometimes available on loan through hospital equipment programs before purchase is needed. For longer-term needs, NDIS or Home Care Package funding may apply. See our funding guide.

This checklist is general. Always follow the specific discharge instructions and equipment recommendations given by your hospital care team, since these vary significantly by procedure and individual health status.