How to Blend Medical Equipment into the Home

Patient Education Tool
Providing a medically safe home
environment after discharge from the hospital can be challenging
for the caregiver and overwhelming for the ill or injured person. We
want a safe environment, but we don’t want it to look as if we never
left the hospital! Necessary medical equipment can make the once
homey kitchen, family room or bedroom appear like an impersonal
hospital ward.
Surroundings
When obtaining medical equipment, consider
your existing surroundings. Sometimes
you will need extra space or you will need
to place the equipment near a dedicated
electrical receptacle. Depending upon the
size, you can hide equipment in drawers and
closets, or hide them with room dividers and
curtains. Storage is of importance, since
some medical equipment should not be
stored in places that are cold, hot, humid, or
damp. Plastic or metal storage containers
on wheels can be used for easy transport
of some equipment from room to room.
Make sure you are organized and efficient
when storing equipment. For example, store
all equipment supplies near the piece of
equipment.
Oxygen
Be sure to speak with your oxygen supply
company about safety considerations in the
storage and use of oxygen equipment. Your
oxygen representative should work with
you to identify the best location to store
equipment so that it is functional, easily
accessed and, most importantly, safe. Keep
in mind that flammable materials need to be
placed away from the area where oxygen
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will be used. Flammable materials include:
cotton, wool, polyester fabric, bed clothing,
paper materials, plastics, and certain lotions
or salves, such as petroleum jelly.
Hospital Beds
If a hospital bed fits in the bedroom, that is
usually the most appropriate location. You
may need to put the hospital bed into the
living room; if this is the case, you may want
to add a room divider or curtain to assist
with privacy. If resources are available
and an individual’s disability is considered
permanent, some people choose to add on
an extra bedroom or enlarge an existing
bedroom to provide necessary space and
privacy for the disabled person.
Bathroom Equipment
Devices and aids in the bathroom, such as
an elevated toilet seat, toilet frames, bath
chairs, grab bars, and even rubber bath
mats, can be color coordinated to help blend
in with the existing décor of the home. Grab
bars come in every size, shape, and finish
imaginable. They are also available in bold
colors, pastels, multi-colored, polished or
dull gold, silver, and stainless steel, and with
grips that are soft, hard, ridged or smooth.
Some items, such as raised toilet seats or
bath chair can be stored in a different room
or in the bathroom closet if certain family
members do not use them. Ceiling and floor
model lifts are available but can sometimes
take up precious space, so pre-planning is
essential.
Wound Care Supplies
It is not unusual for your home care nurse
to store certain supplies in your home which
will be utilized on a frequent basis when
cleaning and dressing your wound. Be sure
these supplies are placed in an area which is
not in the way of your daily routines or those
of others living in the home. Supplies need
to be kept dry and should remain in their
sterile packaging at all times. Your wound
care nurse may also store throwaway
surgical gloves in your home. These gloves
should not be donned by anyone else in the
home for household chores or yard work.
Persons allergic to latex could have skin
reactions resulting from glove use. Gloves
used and not disposed correctly could also
cause a slipping hazard on the floor.
Home Modifications
If there is considerable need for home
medical equipment, it may be time to consider
home modifications. People with physical
disabilities are living longer, healthier lives.
With this often comes the need to address
environmental access issues such as
lighting, floor surfaces, barriers to mobility
(rugs, doorsills, or furniture), availability of
hand supports and railings, fire and burn
hazards, mattress heights, and comfort of
chairs and couches. These are all important
issues that need to be addressed.
Patient Newsletter
Home modifications can provide a myriad
of positive outcomes for the person with
disabilities and his/her family or caregiver.
Home modifications can prevent accidents,
facilitate care giving, make it easier to
engage in major life activities, enhance even
simple tasks, such as cooking and cleaning,
and can even minimize the need for costly
personal care services or institutional care.
Unfortunately, most people do not recognize
this until they are in a crisis situation.
Hearing, eyesight and reflexes slowly decline
with age. These physiological changes,
added by diseases or the side effects of
medication, can also decrease safety and
function in an individual. The U.S. Census
Bureau reports that more than a million older
people with health and mobility problems
need additional supportive features in their
homes to allow them to remain in their homes
injury free, as well as to avoid premature
institutionalization. Home modifications that
“injury-proof” a residence can be performed
by environmental specialists who have the
expertise to assess the home and offer
solutions to the barriers that exist there,
and who can then provide modifications
through direct work or via resources and
recommendations. They should understand
both the medical issues and the construction
issues that are involved.
Environmental access is the process of
adapting a residence to fit the special
needs of an injured, disabled or elderly
individual to promote independence.
Adaptations may include physically changing
portions of the residence to create a living
environment that is functional according to
the individual’s needs. Some of the more
common terms used are barrier-free design,
medical remodeling and universal design.
An environmental condition may not in itself
be unsafe, but the reduced capabilities of
the person who resides there creates the
hazard. Some areas which have a potential
to pose a hazard are the kitchen, bathrooms,
stairs, lighting, doorways, electrical cords,
and temperature control.
Barrier-free design is the removal of
architectural barriers to achieve greater
access for an injured, chronically ill,
disabled or elderly individual. The greatest
concern among older adults is retaining
the ability to live independently in their
own home, or simply put, to age-in-place.
This can become a reality with proper
planning, as well as proper use of barrierfree designs or universal design. Universal
design is meant for people of all ages,
and not specifically for those with illness
or disabilities. One example would be the
widened bathroom stalls which are required
by the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act)
for handicap access. Because these stalls
are larger and include personal sinks and
mirrors, mothers also effectively use these
same stalls to keep their small children,
particularly those in strollers, close to them
as they use the facilities. Universal design
is the design of products and environments
that are usable by everyone, regardless of
age or disability.
General Tips
A home should be equipped with two or three
telephones, including a portable cordless
phone for emergency purposes or a handy
cell phone. Store the telephone near the
bed if the person is bedridden. Emergency
call devices that can be worn around the
neck or in the pocket are also worthwhile.
In the kitchen, specific “equipment centers”
should be organized for ease in cooking. For
example, store pots and pans by the stove
and oven. Also store the flour, sugar, mixing
bowls and spices in one central area for
ease of cooking and baking. If walking is
challenging for you, make sure that your
“equipment centers” are close to a table,
stool, walker or wheelchair. Store reachers/
picker-uppers near the kitchen for use
in reaching into high or low areas. Two or
three reachers may be needed throughout
the home if they are used often. In the
bathroom, have towels, soap and shampoos
near the tub for daily use.
An important point to remember is that your
home is still your home – not an institution.
Do everything you can to preserve its
comfort while promoting your or your loved
one’s safety and health.
If it’s time to consider barrier-free design or
environmental access in your home, be sure
to contact professionals with the expertise
to assist you. Check with your city or county
building department for recommendations
of professionals who are both licensed and
insured. Your medical equipment company
or home health care company may also be
able to provide this service.
© 2014 Prime Education, Inc. (PRIME®). All Rights Reserved.
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