Preparing Your Home Before Surgery

One of the most important and frequently overlooked steps in surgical recovery is preparing your home before your operation date not after. When you arrive home from hospital following hip or knee surgery, you will be managing pain, limited mobility, and post-anaesthetic fatigue all at once. Having the right equipment already in place means you can focus entirely on resting and healing rather than scrambling to arrange what you need. Your surgical team will provide specific restrictions based on your procedure such as hip precautions that limit bending, or weight-bearing limitations for the first several weeks and your equipment choices should support those restrictions precisely. At Courtice Home Health Care, we recommend booking a pre-surgery equipment consultation so everything is ready and set up before you come home.

Bathroom Equipment Highest Priority

The bathroom presents the greatest safety challenge during post-surgical recovery, and it is the area where the right equipment makes the most immediate difference. A raised toilet seat with armrests is essential sitting down to and rising from a standard toilet requires a degree of hip or knee flexion that is both painful and restricted in the early recovery period. A shower chair or transfer bench allows you to bathe safely without standing or stepping over a tub edge. Grab bars beside the toilet and inside the shower provide crucial grip points when your balance is compromised and your operated limb cannot bear full weight. These three items should be installed and ready before your surgery date.

Mobility and Daily Living Aids

• Walker or rollator most patients start with a standard walker; transition to rollator as mobility improves (physio will advise timing)
• Reacher/grabber tool essential for hip surgery; lets you pick up items and put on socks without bending forward
• Long-handled shoe horn get shoes on without bending the hip
• Bed rail or bed assist handle provides secure grip for getting in and out of bed safely
• Non-slip mat at bedside prevents slipping on bare floors when getting up at night
• Sock aid helps put on compression socks or regular socks without hip flexion

Pain and Swelling Management

• Gel ice packs or cold therapy wraps reduce swelling and pain; apply 15–20 mins at a time as directed
• Compression socks often prescribed post-surgery to prevent DVT; ask your surgeon
• Leg elevation pillow keeps the operated limb elevated to reduce swelling during rest
• Reusable hot/cold packs versatile option for ongoing pain management through recovery

We Are Here Before and After Your Surgery

Recovering well starts with the right preparation, and you do not have to figure out what you need on your own. Our team at Courtice Home Health Care has helped hundreds of Durham Region residents prepare for and recover from hip and knee surgeries. We understand the specific equipment recommendations that come with these procedures and can help you put together everything you need in one visit or arrange rental for items you only need short-term. Come and see us at 1423 King St E Unit 5, Courtice before your surgery date, or call +1 (905) 721-0004 to speak with our team. Monday to Friday 9am–5pm, Saturday 11am–2pm.