Being in hospital can make you feel anxious. It’s not usually a place you go for a good reason, and it can feel alien and uncomfortable. The lights, sounds and busy environment can make it hard to relax and maintain privacy. 

People who have recently had an accident or illness may long for the comfort of their house, but their property may present problems that prevent them from going home.

Here are some ideas for home adaptations for a quick hospital discharge.

The Problems With Home

First, let’s consider what the barriers might be to a quick hospital discharge… 

• Getting through the front door. Whether an individual is in a wheelchair or simply struggling to hold steady on their feet, crossing the threshold to the home can be a huge challenge, especially without help.
• Accessing the bathroom. Particularly for homes of 2 or more storeys, being able to get to toilet and wash facilities may be impossible for people with reduced mobility.
• Moving around the kitchen. Space can be an issue if walking aids or wheelchairs are involved, as well as someone’s ability to operate equipment, reach stored goods and safely perform kitchen activities. 
• Getting in and out of bed. Most beds are not fit for purpose for individuals leaving hospital to live at home because they are too low and lack support features. 
• Moving around the home. Most homes don’t have efficient lighting, non-slip flooring, stairlifts and ramps and wider doorways that could help your loved one, patient, or client get a quick hospital discharge.

These aren’t all the potential problems with living at home, but they cover the most pertinent issues.

Looking for a quick hospital discharge? Let’s dig a little deeper into the changes you can make.

The Front Door

Many properties feature a step to the front door. This can be hard to navigate if you’re unsteady on your feet, are in a wheelchair or have mobility problems.

To make life easier and enable individuals to employ more independence, a half-step or temporary ramp can be added.

Another popular adaptation that many people make is the addition of a video doorbell. Providing this option means users can see who is at the door without having to move from where they are in the home.

The Bedroom

For people living in multi-storey properties, a downstairs room can be adapted to make an extra bedroom. If stairs are difficult for the user upon their return home, this means that life can be made much easier.

If needed, a specialist bed can be brought in to make getting in and out of bed more comfortable, too. 

To further ensure the bedroom is safe and free from hazards, it’s important to clear the floor space to reduce the risk of trips and falls. For optimum convenience, motorised blinds or curtains and remote control lighting means no unnecessary reaching and pulling. 

The Bathroom

Quite often, the bathroom of a house is found upstairs. This is a huge barrier that stands in the way of many people’s quick hospital discharge. 

Moving a bathroom downstairs certainly isn’t a quick fix. However, a shower and toilet pod can be installed in under a day and functions as a fully-kitted washroom.

What Is A Shower Pod?

Temporary shower pods comprise a shower tray floor, waterproof walls and ceiling and bi-fold front opening doors. Each pod features an electric shower that is wired into the fuse board of the home, and access to a cold water feed is also necessary. 

During a shower, the water drains away into a gulley, where an electric pump hidden in the shower floor carries the water to either a connecting household waste pipe or a Saniflo unit. 

Temporary shower pods are easily modified to suit the individual needs of the user. Whether it’s side entry doors, a WC unit or a larger-than-average sized shower floor, shower pods can be installed in any room with adequate access for easy access to bathroom facilities. 

Other adaptations you can make in your bathroom include…

Toilet

Average WCs can be hard to use when you’re living with reduced mobility because the range of movement required puts too much strain on the muscles. Adjustable height and lower wall-hung toilets are a great answer to comfortable toileting.

Grab Rails

Grab rails are a minor but undeniably critical part of any home adaptation project and can help to get your client or loved one a quick hospital discharge. Positioned anywhere the user might need support lowering themselves down, raising up or simply standing for long periods, grab rails ensure bathroom activities are as safe as possible.

Shower Stool

Standing in the shower to wash isn’t possible for everyone. Shower stools are a simple solution that provides a place of rest during the shower and can be folded away when not in use. 

These short-term solutions could be enough to make home life comfortable, or they might stay situated whilst you plan for longer-term options, like wetrooms or accessible baths. 

The Kitchen

You might be wondering what kitchen changes can be made to support a quick hospital discharge.

Grab Rails

See, they’re helpful everywhere! Installing grab rails in the kitchen can make standing by the fridge or cooker feel more secure for individuals who aren’t steady on their feet or who tire quickly.

Rearranging Cupboards

Sometimes, reorganising a kitchen so that the spread of appliances and counter space makes logical sense can reduce excessive, tiring travel around the room and vastly improve the accessibility of the kitchen.  

In place of a full kitchen makeover, consider installing clever storage mechanisms, like pull-down shelves, that make reaching wall-hung cupboard items a breeze. 

Lever Taps

Standard sink taps can be difficult to grip onto and turn when your mobility is compromised. Lever taps require far less dexterity and are a simple addition to a kitchen.

Lighting

Adequate lighting in the kitchen, including spotlights directly over areas which require more concentration, like cookers and worktops, enables users to perform kitchen duties safely. 

Sink

Replacing a standard kitchen sink with a shallow one, especially one with room underneath where a wheelchair user can position their legs, can make reaching cutlery and crockery a much simpler task. 

Flooring

Non-slip flooring is a must for rooms that can become humid or spaces that are at risk of suffering spillages. By installing safe flooring and ensuring the floor is clear of hazards, you can heavily reduce the risk of trips, slips and falls.

The Rest Of The House

We’ve covered the main problems faced in key areas of the home and how to remedy them for a quick hospital discharge. 

Here are some other considerations that can be dealt with by friends and family before a client or loved one returns home…

• Clear any visible clutter that lives both on the floor and on top surfaces around the house. This will help to reduce the risk of injury from trips and falling items.
• Check carpets are in a safe condition. Ripples, rips and unsecured edges present a huge risk of trips and falls.
• Rearrange furniture. By moving certain pieces of furniture around, you may be able to create more space and a better flow through the home, which will make getting around more comfortable.
• Place the telephone within reach. If the user will be mostly resting in bed or on the sofa, for example, move the phone onto a table nearby so that they can easily access it.
• Installing minor adaptations. Handrails and grabrails, shower stools, motion lighting and kitchen gadgets like kettle tippers can be sourced and installed by most proud DIYers.

A Quick Hospital Discharge Is Possible With Adaptations

Careful planning of hospital discharge means a safe return to a comfortable environment. 

Some changes can be made quickly to enable a speedier return while planning for more significant work, and others might be enough to make for a happy, safe home life for the foreseeable.

Not sure which changes to make first? Wondering what financial help you might be able to access? See our website to get in touch with the John Ford Group.