Things get real when it's time to go home. Depending on the level of your loved ones disabilities, you need to prepare for this as far in advance as possible, and if you're hospital/rehab is like ours - They aren't going to be all that helpful. They will set you up with your initial equipment order which most likely will be a wheel chair and/or walker and that's about it.... They will order the home care which you should absolutely take even if you think you don't need it, it's another set of hands/eyes coming to your house with ideas and resources and at this point your insurance deductible & max out of pocket is most likely met, so its free.
The coming weeks and months are going to be very busy for you, I would highly suggest an
Amazon Prime subscription. Everything you need will mostly likely be cheaper on there anyway, and with prime you get it delivered in 2 days. You will constantly be thinking of things you need and not have time to go to the store... I've linked below the items I found myself needing right away at home.
Cloth Diapers
If you're loved one is incontinent I highly suggest
cloth diapers, particularly for night time. In the beginning my dad would wake up constantly wet through-out the night, which meant I got not sleep. When I switched from disposables to cloth, he started sleeping through the night. Cloth Diapers are made in a way that the skin touching layer dries quickly so you don't feel wet. There are many kinds available on Amazon and they are super absorbent. Plus, disposable diapers are very expensive! These pay for themselves.
Toileting Aids
You're going to need a
bedside commode, not necessarily for bedside, but it makes it much easier for getting on and off the toilet due to the hand rails, they do have simple
toilet hand rails, but I find the ability to have a commode that you can adjust the height on depending on the level of difficulty getting up and down more comforting. For men, if you want something at bedside I would suggest a
urinal system with bag vs the little urinal bottles you can get at the drug store.It's just more convenient.
Bed Pads
Don't waste time/money with disposable bed pads, if nighttime incontinence is involved, just get the
washable reusable bed pads. Unless your loved one is prone to breakdown and bed sores these are not a good option.
Bed Restraints
I made the mistake of assuming a bed rail and bed alarm would be enough to prevent a fall, but it only took 1 trip to the ER due to a caregiver not getting there in time for me to make the decision that a bed restraint was necessary. The
SkilCare RollBelt I purchased is something he can't very easily get out of, but can still roll around in bed. If you're loved on is a fall risk, I would suggest just doing it right away. My dads first/only fall out of bed and onto a dresser missed his corotid artery by only centimeters.
Baby Monitors
When we first got home, I purchased only a regular old
baby monitor with the plan of only needing this when he's asleep. I soon after purchased a video baby monitor so that I could be in another room while still being able to make sure he isn't getting up and going to fall. I suggest digital audio sound monitors and after trying several video monitors landed on the
Motorola MBP853, while it has many flaws it was the only with all the features I wanted.
"Diaper Bag"
It only took one poop accident in public for me to realize I was not at all prepared for this new life, the next day I began carrying a
backpack with all the things we could potentially need whilst out and about. Diapers, Wet Ones, Kleenex, Magazines to keep him occupied, Etc. Etc. Etc....
Pill Organizer
Recovering from a stroke, especially a severe one, there are mostly likely a lot of pills involved. My dad has has about 22 things to swallow a day (mostly vitamins) and making him to that all in one shebang is cruel so I got a
4x day pill organizer.
Warehouse Membership
Warehouse Shopping has been a lifesafe, I can go out once a month and get almost everything we need. Especially groceries. Our local
Sams Club has so many options for fully cooked and prepared food I can a months worth of meals out of one trip to the club with very little effort.
Click Here to sign up and get a $10 gift card!
Ipad
This is a pricey one, but if your loved one needs serious cognitive rehabilitation I would highly, HIGHLY, suggest an
ipad. There are a plethora of apps available. What they get in rehab is never going to be enough. You have to supplement at home and handing them an ipad with pre-made exercises takes a lot of stress off of you.
