---
title: "Home after a stroke: mobility and daily-living aids for the first months"
url: "https://rehabul.com/en/blog/home-after-a-stroke-aids/"
description: "Home after a stroke: how to make the home safe from falls, set up the bathroom and the bed, which aids help and how to work with the rehabilitation team."
published: "2026-10-14"
updated: "2026-10-14"
---

# Home after a stroke: mobility and daily-living aids for the first months

Published: 14 October 2026

In the first months at home after a stroke, two things matter most: a home that is safe from falls, and exercise with the rehabilitation team that carries on. Aids such as a quad cane, a walking frame, a shower chair or a wheelchair are chosen according to what your relative can do today. Choose them together with the physiotherapist or the doctor, not in advance “just in case”.

Every stroke is different. Some people come home almost independent; others have weakness down one side of the body, difficulty speaking, tiredness, or problems with memory and attention. The NHS stresses that recovery carries on after leaving hospital and that the family is an important part of it. This article is a practical guide for relatives. It does not replace the plan the specialists give you.

## A safe home: falls first

A fall is one of the most common risks in the first months, especially when one side of the body is weaker or balance is affected. So set up the home before your relative comes back, if you can.

- **A clear path.** Take rugs, cables and low objects out of the way between the bed, the bathroom and the kitchen. The path needs to be wide if a walking frame will be used.
- **Light.** Good lighting in the hallway and a night light on the way to the bathroom. The light switch should be within reach of the bed.
- **Steady supports.** Anything a person holds on to must bear their weight. Chairs with armrests make standing up easier.
- **Within arm’s reach.** The phone, glasses, water and medicines close by, on the side of the stronger hand.
- **Shoes.** Closed at the back, with a non-slip sole. Backless slippers and socks without soles make slipping more likely.

If a fall happens, do not rush to lift your relative. Check whether they are in pain or hurt, and whether they can turn and get up themselves with support. For more ideas, see our article [“A winter without falls”](https://rehabul.com/en/blog/staying-safe-on-ice-in-winter/), which also explains what to do after a fall.

## The bathroom and the bed

The bathroom is the most slippery place in the home, and the bed is where a person gets up several times a day. Both deserve attention from the first day.

- **Shower or bath.** A shower chair or a bath board lets your relative wash sitting down. A non-slip mat in the shower and in front of it.
- **Toilet.** A raised toilet seat or a toilet frame makes sitting down and standing up easier. At night, a commode next to the bed helps.
- **Grab rails.** Rails must be fixed firmly into the wall, not held by suction. Put them on the side your relative can hold with.
- **The bed.** The height is right when, sitting on the edge, the person has both feet flat on the floor and the knees level with the hips or a little lower. If your relative spends a lot of time in bed or needs help turning, an adjustable care bed and a pressure-relieving mattress make care easier.

There is more detail in our articles [“A safe bathroom at home”](https://rehabul.com/en/blog/bathroom-safety-for-older-people/) and [“Caring for a loved one in bed”](https://rehabul.com/en/blog/caring-for-someone-in-bed-first-weeks/).

## Mobility aids

The aid is chosen by the person’s strength, balance and hands, not by the diagnosis. The physiotherapist judges what is safe and sets the height. The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) explains that a cane is held on the side opposite the weak or painful leg, that is, in the stronger hand. A quad cane has a wider base and can be particularly useful with weakness down one side of the body. A two-handled walking frame needs both hands to grip and bear weight, so with a weak arm the specialist may suggest a different aid.

| Aid | When it helps | What to watch |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Quad cane | Better balance than a single-point cane, with one strong hand | Held on the stronger side; all four feet touch the floor |
| Side walker (hemi-walker) | More support than a cane when only one hand is strong | Needs more room; the physiotherapist shows how to walk with it |
| Walking frame or rollator | When both hands can grip and bear weight | A rollator can roll away: it is not suitable with significant balance or memory problems |
| Wheelchair | For longer distances, or while walking is not yet safe | A seat cushion, the right size, and safe transfers in and out |

The aim is for the person to move on their own as much as they can, but safely. The aid can change as strength and balance improve. See [how to choose a walking frame or a rollator](https://rehabul.com/en/blog/choosing-a-walking-frame-or-rollator/) and [our article on wheelchairs](https://rehabul.com/en/blog/wheelchairs/).

## Daily-living aids

Small helpers bring back independence in the little things: eating, dressing, washing. They are especially useful when one hand is weaker.

- cutlery with thicker handles, a non-slip mat under the plate and a plate with a high rim;
- a sock aid, a long shoehorn and shoes with Velcro instead of laces;
- a reacher for picking things up from the floor without bending;
- a long-handled sponge and a weekly pill organiser.

Many of these are widely available in ordinary shops. An occupational therapist, if you have access to one, can show which will help your relative. There are more ideas in our article [“Small helpers at home”](https://rehabul.com/en/blog/small-daily-living-aids-at-home/).

## Working with the rehabilitation team

Rehabilitation carries on at home, and the family is part of the team. The UK’s NICE guideline on stroke rehabilitation (NG236) recommends that care and rehabilitation continue after leaving hospital for as long as they help the person reach their goals. The training and support needs of family members should be reviewed regularly too.

- **Who does what.** The doctor oversees treatment; the physiotherapist works on movement and balance; the occupational therapist on everyday activities at home; the speech and language therapist on speech and swallowing.
- **Ask before you buy.** Show the specialists what you plan to get. They will tell you whether it is suitable and how to adjust it.
- **Exercise every day.** Write down the exercises you have been shown and do them regularly. Small progress is still progress.
- **A notebook of questions.** Note what changes, what your relative finds hard and what you want to ask at the next appointment.
- **A progress review.** According to the NHS, there should be a review of recovery about six months after the stroke. If none has been arranged, ask the doctor.

Do not forget yourself. Caring for someone after a stroke is hard and can be lonely. Accept help, share the tasks in the family and give yourself breaks.

## When to get medical help

- **Call 112 at once** with new signs of a stroke: a drooping face, weakness in an arm or leg, slurred or difficult speech, sudden loss of vision or a severe headache. Do not wait for it to pass.
- **Call 112** after a fall with a blow to the head, severe pain, or if the person cannot get up.
- **Contact the doctor** if your relative chokes or coughs when eating and drinking, if a leg becomes swollen and painful, if tiredness, low mood or anxiety does not lift, or if their condition gets worse.

## Frequently asked questions

### Should we buy everything before discharge?

Better not. Make the home safe from falls, and choose the aids once the specialists have assessed what your relative can do. That way you will not buy something that does not suit them.

### A quad cane or a walking frame?

It depends on balance and on whether both hands can bear weight. The physiotherapist will judge what is safe now. The aid can change over time.

### Can the state help with aids?

Some aids can be provided by the state under certain conditions. The rules change, so see our [guide to state funding](https://rehabul.com/en/state-funding/) and the article [how to get a medical device](https://rehabul.com/en/blog/how-to-get-a-medical-device/).

In Reha Bul’s shops our consultants will help you choose the aids the specialists have recommended. Browse the [crutches, walking sticks and walking frames](https://rehabul.com/en/categories/crutches-walking-sticks-frames/), the [bath and toilet chairs](https://rehabul.com/en/categories/bath-and-toilet-chairs/), the [adjustable care beds](https://rehabul.com/en/categories/adjustable-care-beds/) and the [wheelchairs](https://rehabul.com/en/categories/wheelchairs/) in the catalogue, or find your nearest [shop](https://rehabul.com/en/shops/).

## Sources

- [NHS: Stroke — recovery](https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stroke/recovery/)
- [NHS: Stroke — symptoms](https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stroke/symptoms/)
- [NICE: Stroke rehabilitation in adults (NG236), 2023](https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng236)
- [Bradley SM, Hernandez CR. Geriatric assistive devices. Am Fam Physician. 2011;84(4):405–411](https://www.aafp.org/pubs/afp/issues/2011/0815/p405.html)
- [NHS: Falls — prevention](https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/falls/prevention/)
- [World Health Organization: Falls (fact sheet)](https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/falls)