Family planner · Updated October 2026
Coming home from hospital: what to change at home, and what can wait
When a parent, partner or you yourself are coming home after a fall, surgery, stroke or illness, the home suddenly has to work differently, often within days. The good news is that most of what matters in the first weeks is not construction. This planner separates what needs to happen now from what deserves a proper plan.
The short answer. For the first weeks after a hospital stay:
- Ask the hospital team for home recommendations before discharge, especially from the occupational therapist.
- Borrow short-term equipment such as a shower chair, raised toilet seat or walker. In BC, the Canadian Red Cross Health Equipment Loan Program lends health equipment.
- Make quick, reversible safety changes: clear pathways, add lighting, remove loose rugs, and set up essentials on one floor.
- Wait for a clearer picture before renovating, unless a change is needed for a safe return home.
Before discharge: questions to ask the hospital team
- Has an occupational therapist (OT) or physiotherapist made recommendations for the home? Can we have them in writing?
- What equipment is recommended, and where should we get it?
- Will there be a referral to community health services, such as home support or community OT or physiotherapy?
- What can the person safely do: stairs, bathing, getting in and out of bed, getting to the toilet at night?
- Is this expected to improve, stay the same, or change over time? The answer shapes whether to borrow, buy or renovate.
Island Health's community health services include occupational and physical therapy. Ask the hospital team or the family doctor about a referral.
The first few days: quick, reversible changes
- Clear the route from bed to bathroom to kitchen to the main chair. Walkers need more width than you think.
- Remove loose rugs and cords, or secure them.
- Add light: plug-in night lights along the night-time route to the bathroom, and brighter bulbs at stairs and entries.
- Set up one floor if stairs are hard: a bed, essentials within reach, and access to a toilet.
- Raise the seat: chairs with arms are easier to stand up from than soft, low sofas.
- Move everyday items to between waist and shoulder height.
Borrow before you buy
Needs often change in the weeks after discharge. The Canadian Red Cross runs the BC Health Equipment Loan Program, which lends health equipment in the short term, with options for more advanced equipment such as hospital beds and patient lifts. The Vancouver Island office can be reached at 250-382-2043. Ask the hospital team which items they recommend before you borrow or buy.
The bathroom is usually the first real problem
Getting in and out of a tub and getting up from a low toilet are where many falls happen. Short-term options include a tub transfer bench, a handheld shower and a raised toilet seat or toilet frame.
Grab bars are the one item worth doing properly from the start. They must be anchored into studs or solid backing. Suction-cup grab bars and towel bars are not safe supports. Where a bar goes depends on how the person moves, which is a question for the OT.
What can usually wait
A shower conversion, ramp, stairlift or widened doorway are big decisions. Unless one is needed for a safe return home, it is often wiser to wait a few weeks to see how recovery goes and get proper recommendations. A rushed renovation can solve last week's problem and miss next year's.
Timing also matters for funding. BC Housing's BC RAHA rebate requires written approval before work starts. Its application mentions limited exceptions for emergency adaptations before a hospital release. We cannot advise on this, so call BC Housing (604-433-2218 or 1-800-257-7756) before any work begins.
When it is time to plan
- Gather the OT's or physiotherapist's recommendations.
- Use our 5-minute home walkthrough to note what has become difficult room by room.
- Check whether BC RAHA or the tax credits might apply. Our funding summary links to each official program, which is where to confirm.
- Get a written, itemized estimate that separates what is needed now from what can be phased in later.
Common questions
Who decides what changes a home needs after a hospital stay?
The hospital team, especially the occupational therapist, is best placed to recommend changes based on how the person moves and manages daily tasks. A renovation contractor should build to those recommendations rather than replace them.
Where can I borrow a shower chair or walker in Victoria?
The Canadian Red Cross BC Health Equipment Loan Program lends health equipment. The Vancouver Island office can be reached at 250-382-2043. Ask the hospital team which items they recommend first.
Should we renovate before Mom comes home from hospital?
Usually not, unless a change is needed for a safe return. Start with borrowed equipment and reversible changes, get professional recommendations, and plan larger work once the picture is clearer. If you hope to use BC RAHA, you need approval before work begins.
Are suction-cup grab bars safe?
No. Suction cups can release without warning. Grab bars need to be anchored into studs or solid backing.
Talk it through with us
Tell us what has become difficult at home and what you are considering. We will give you a straight answer about next steps, with no pressure to take on work you do not need.
Sources
Checked October 20, 2026. Programs and limits change, so confirm with the official source before you rely on a figure.