Home medical equipment checklist after surgery or a hospital stay.

Summary

Most people coming home after a knee or hip replacement, a fall or a hospital stay need four things ready: a walker or cane, a shower chair or tub transfer bench, a raised toilet seat or toilet safety frame, and a clear, well-lit path from the bed to the bathroom. Set them up a week or two before a planned surgery, let the physical therapist fit the walker, and check what your insurance covers before you buy.

That's the quick version. Below is the full checklist we walk families through at the counter, room by room, plus the questions we hear most. Every recovery is different, so treat this as a starting point and follow your surgeon's and physical therapist's instructions first.

What equipment do I need at home after knee or hip replacement?

After a knee or hip replacement, most people need a walker for the first stretch of recovery, plus a few bathroom helpers so they don't have to bend low or step over a tub edge. Here's what usually makes the list:

• A walker. Often a front-wheeled walker. Many hospitals send patients home with one, so ask before you buy.
• A raised toilet seat or toilet safety frame. Sitting down and standing up from a low toilet is one of the hardest moves in the first weeks.
• A shower chair or tub transfer bench. So bathing happens sitting down.
• A reacher or grabber and a long-handled sponge. Handy when bending is limited, especially after hip surgery.
• A sturdy chair with arms. Arms give you something to push up from. Deep, soft couches are hard to get out of.
• Ice packs or a cold therapy wrap, if your surgeon recommends cold for swelling.

If your surgeon has given you hip precautions (rules about how far you can bend or twist), the raised toilet seat and reacher become even more useful. Your care team will tell you which precautions apply to you.

Room-by-room home recovery checklist

Walk through the house the way your family member will on day one: in the front door, to the bed, to the bathroom, to the kitchen. Fix what's in the way before they get home.

Walker vs cane vs rollator: which one do I need?

Right after surgery, most people start with a standard or front-wheeled walker because it gives the most support, then move to a cane as they get steadier. A rollator (four wheels, hand brakes and a seat) is built for people who can walk fairly well but tire easily, so it's usually not the first choice right after a joint replacement. Your physical therapist decides which one you need and when to switch.

Height matters as much as the type. As a general rule, the handles land near the crease of your wrist when your arms hang relaxed, but your PT will fit your walker or cane in person. A walker set too low has you hunching over it.

When should I get equipment, before or after surgery?

Get the basics before a planned surgery, ideally a week or two ahead, so the house is ready and nobody is shopping on discharge day. Start by asking the surgeon's office which items they recommend and whether anything will be ordered for you. Hospitals often send people home with a walker, so you may not need to buy one.

For a hospital stay or a fall you didn't plan for, ask the discharge planner or case manager before discharge what equipment is being arranged and what you should pick up yourself. Then make one call to a pharmacy with the list. It's a lot easier than figuring it out after you're home.

How do I set up a safe bathroom after surgery?

Set up the bathroom so every move happens sitting down or holding something solid: a seat in the shower, a higher toilet, and grab bars where hands naturally reach. The bathroom is one of the most common places for falls at home, so it's worth doing first.

1. Seat for bathing. A shower chair for a walk-in shower, or a tub transfer bench for a bathtub.
2. A higher toilet. A raised toilet seat or a toilet safety frame with arms. A 3-in-1 commode can also sit over the toilet.
3. Grab bars that hold weight. Anchored into studs or with proper anchors. Towel bars and suction-cup bars aren't made to catch a fall.
4. A handheld shower head and a non-slip mat. Less reaching and fewer slippery spots.
5. Light for night trips. A plug-in night light in the bathroom and along the hallway.

Does Medicare cover a walker or shower chair?

Medicare Part B usually covers a walker or cane when a doctor orders it as medically necessary for use at home, but it generally does not cover shower chairs, bath seats, raised toilet seats or grab bars. Here's how it works:

• You need a doctor's order. Part B covers durable medical equipment when your doctor or other provider orders it for use in your home.
• The supplier matters. Medicare only pays for equipment from suppliers enrolled in Medicare. If the supplier accepts assignment, you pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount after your Part B deductible.
• Walkers, rollators and canes are on Medicare's list of covered equipment, along with commode chairs, crutches, wheelchairs and hospital beds. Commode chairs are covered in specific situations, like being confined to your bed or room.
• Bathroom safety items usually aren't covered. Medicare's equipment list treats bath seats and raised toilet seats as comfort or convenience items and grab bars as self-help devices, so most families pay for those themselves.
• Medicare Advantage plans have to cover the same categories of medically necessary equipment, but which suppliers you can use and what you pay depend on the plan. Call the number on your plan card.

Before you buy anything you're counting on Medicare to pay for, ask the supplier two questions: "Are you enrolled in Medicare?" and "Do you accept assignment?" Rules can change, so confirm the details at Medicare.gov (opens in a new tab) or by calling 1-800-MEDICARE.

What else helps during the first couple of weeks at home?

Having the medications handled makes the first weeks at home a lot calmer. New prescriptions tend to arrive all at once on discharge day, right when nobody wants to stand in a line.

• Skip the trip. We offer free prescription delivery anywhere in Illinois, so refills can come to the house.
• Stay in the car. If you are picking up, use our drive-thru window or curbside pickup on Will Cook Road. Handy when someone is waiting at home.
• Put everything in one place. If prescriptions are spread across a few pharmacies, a prescription transfer lets one pharmacist see the whole list. One call and we handle the rest.
• Ask questions. New pain medicine, a blood thinner, a new blood pressure pill: ask your pharmacist how they fit with what you already take.

Where can I get home medical equipment near Homer Glen and Orland Park?

Orland Pharmacy at 14322 S Will Cook Rd in Homer Glen carries home medical equipment and supplies, just south of 143rd Street on the Orland Park border. Stock changes, so call (708) 726-5700 and we'll tell you what we have on the shelf or can order. Bring your list and your insurance card, and we'll help you sort out what makes sense for your home. For bulky items, call from our lot and we'll bring it out to your car.

Medicare details checked September 2026 against Medicare.gov: durable medical equipment coverage (opens in a new tab) and the CMS equipment reference list (opens in a new tab).