Medical Equipment to Consider Before Your Loved One Comes Home

Medical Equipment to Consider Before Your Loved One Comes Home

Your loved one is being discharged from the hospital or rehabilitation facility — that is genuinely good news. But it often arrives alongside a wave of questions: What equipment will be needed? What can we manage at home? How do we make sure everyone is safe and comfortable?

Medical equipment, when carefully selected, is one of the most powerful tools available to caregivers. The right products can reduce the physical demands on you, improve comfort and safety for your loved one, and make the activities of daily living genuinely manageable. The key is identifying what is needed before discharge — not after.

Start with the Care Conference

Before leaving the facility, request a Care Conference with the healthcare team. During this meeting, ask specifically what equipment is currently in use, what the team recommends for home, and what the physician has ordered regarding mattress surfaces and bed type. This conversation is the single most efficient way to build your equipment list — and it is a conversation you have a right to request.

Sleeping: The Bed and Mattress

For individuals with limited mobility, the sleeping surface is one of the most critical pieces of equipment in the home. Electric hospital beds that adjust vertically — raising and lowering the entire bed platform (hi-low) in addition to the head and foot sections — significantly reduce caregiver back strain and make transfers much safer and easier.

If your loved one is at risk for pressure sores due to limited mobility, ask the physician what mattress surface has been prescribed. Group 1 therapy mattresses are non-powered foam surfaces designed to reduce pressure points. Group 2 therapy mattresses are powered and offer alternating pressure, low air loss, lateral rotation, or a combination of features to actively reduce moisture, pressure, and friction. Both are available in a range of styles and price points.

Pro Tip: Do not assume a standard mattress is fine simply because your loved one is not currently showing skin breakdown. Preventing pressure sores is far easier than treating them. If the physician has prescribed a therapy surface in the facility, that prescription should follow your loved one home.

Mobility and Transfers

If your loved one requires assistance getting in and out of bed or transferring to a wheelchair, ask whether a patient lift will be needed. A portable floor lift can eliminate one of the most physically demanding and injury-prone tasks in home caregiving. It is a tool that protects both the person receiving care and the person providing it.

Hygiene and Bathroom Safety

Bathroom safety is another priority area. A shower chair or bath bench, grab bars, a handheld showerhead, and a raised toilet seat can each make a meaningful difference in daily hygiene routines — for both safety and dignity.

Prepare Before They Arrive

Save yourself and your loved one unnecessary anxiety by having equipment in place before discharge day. Ask the healthcare team for help preparing your home and yourself for the arrival of your loved one. Then reach out to us — we can help you move quickly once you have your list.

We’re Here to Help Whether you have a specific equipment list from the Care Conference or are still figuring out where to start, our team is here to help you navigate the options. We work with families preparing for exactly this transition every day — and we understand the time pressure that often comes with it. Call us and we will move as fast as you need us to. Call us: 877-808-4540 (Mon–Fri, 9–5 ET) Email us: contactus@adaptivespecialties.com Or contact us online ›

Know someone preparing for a loved one to come home from a hospital or rehab facility? Share this article — having the right information before discharge makes everything easier.

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