HOME TREATMENT & RECOVERY ESSENTIALS

Your stay in hospital is over, which means that your acute illness is over. Evidence shows that home is the best place to enjoy the highest quality of life, stay active, connect with your loved ones, make choices about food and daily activities, and make important decisions about your future with family and friends. 

Here is a list of care and services that you may need to connect with or get more information on to improve your chances to get stronger and be as independent as possible:

• Physiotherapy, Occupational therapy, Nursing care and Personal Support Work (PSW)

A list of community clinics & other homecare service providers in your local area can be found on our Seniors Health and Rehab search page.

• Equipment you may need: Some examples include mobility devices like a walker.
• Your Medication: Involve your pharmacist or have a healthcare professional help you. Inform your family physician about any changes that occurred in the hospital.
• Remain active and educate yourself about resources in your community & online. For example, you can find information and comprehensive list of free home exercise videos for after knee and hip replacement surgery on this site:

At home Knee Exercise Video

or another home exercise video for hip replacement is found here:

At home Hip Replacement Exercise Video

• Prevent falls by making changes in your home. Arrange for a home safety assessment and make necessary changes. The majority of seniors’ falls happen in the living room and bedroom. Work through the list of common areas to identify and remove hazards:

Stairs & Steps

• Do I have light switches at the top and bottom of the stairs?
• Are my stairs well lit?
• Are my stairs in good repair, free of clutter and have non-skid tape or paint?
• Is the edge of all steps marked with contrasting colored non-skid tape or paint?
• Are the runner mats, carpeting or other floor covering on my stairs well fastened?
• Are there solid handrails or banisters on both sides of the stairway?
• Do I remove my reading glasses when I go up and down the stairs?
• Do I take my time going up or down stairs?

Kitchen

• Have I arranged frequently used and/or heavy items in an easy-to-reach location?
• Do I use a stable step stool with a safety rail for reaching high places and/or ask for help?
• Do I always wipe up spills immediately?
• Do I avoid using floor wax, or use a non-skid variety?
• Do I ask for help with tasks I feel I cannot do safely?

Living Areas

• Do I remove throw rugs or scatter mats (altogether and/or in high traffic areas such as at the top or bottom of stairs), or use a non-skid backing with flat edges?
• Does my pet have a bell on its collar so I can hear it if it’s close by or underfoot?
• Are all walking areas clear of clutter, telephone or electrical cords and other obstacles?
• Are all rooms, stairs and balconies well lit with non-glare lighting?
• Do the surfaces of my stairs, balconies, porches and patios have non-slip surfaces?
• Have I removed raised door sills where possible?
• Do I wear a personal alarm device?

Bedroom

• Do I have a light switch near the bedroom entrance, or a motion-sensitive or “clapper” device that automatically turns on the light?
• Is the path from my bed to the bathroom clear?
• Do I have a cordless phone and a lamp near the bed?
• Do I have a night light in the halls and bathroom in case I get up in the middle of the night?
• Do I take a few moments to sit at the bedside before standing up after a rest or before getting up in the morning?

Bathroom

• Do I use a rubber bath or shower mat, or does my tub or shower have a non-slip surface?
• Are grab bars installed by the toilet, bathtub and shower?
• Do I use a bath seat while taking a shower or bath?
• Do I keep an absorbent towel handy to wipe up moisture or spills immediately?
• Have I talked with a health care professional (i.e. occupational or physical therapist) about the correct type and placement of assistive devices?

Other Helpful Resources

The Safe Living Guide—A Guide to Home Safety for Seniors (Archived PDF) from the Public Health Agency of Canada

For more home safety tips, see: Safety at Home

About the author:

This article is provide by Physiomobility Health group, a multi disciplinary Physiotherapy, Massage, Chiropractic clinic at Shops at Don Mills (Lawrence & Don Mills, North York, Toronto) .  Physiomobility also provides in-home services, please feel free and contact them for any questions you might have.