Preparing Your Home for Hospice

If the loved one we care for is in the advanced stages of a disease and we’ve decided that we would like them to be in as much comfort as possible in familiar surroundings, home hospice may be the right choice. However, arranging a loved one’s home or our own for a hospice stay takes some thought and preparation. We likely don’t want the place to look like a hospital, but we need to have all of the necessary equipment the loved one we care for requires.

Here are some tips to keep in mind:

1. Arrange for a loved one’s bedroom to be on the ground floor

This will spare them from needing to use stairs. Either a spare bedroom or a converted room will suffice. 

2. Move all unnecessary furniture out of the room and eliminate clutter in the rest of the home

The extra space will be needed for medical equipment and for us and any other members of a loved one’s care team to move around with ease. We should also try to arrange all the equipment, such as oxygen or blood pressure gauges, in such a way that the equipment can be used without being in the way of anyone living in the home.

Any other room of the house a loved one will be using—especially the bathroom—should be cleared of any fall hazards present.

3. Consider buying or renting a hospital bed

The adjustable settings of these beds not only keep things more comfortable for a loved one, but are also valuable for medical reasons, as they can be used to prevent bedsores and make it easier for a loved one to eat, drink and swallow. They can also be useful for helping a loved one in or out of bed. Hospital beds can come with side rails, but we should be forewarned that while they help keep a loved one from getting out of bed when a medical professional advises them not to be moved, they can potentially cause limbs and sheets to become trapped and tangled, too. We should use them carefully.

4. Make the environment soothing for a loved one

We can decorate the room with warm, vibrant hues, plants or anything a loved one might find relaxing, such as framed pictures of family members or other people they care about. The room should also include a comfortable chair for visitors to use, positioned so a loved one can easily see their visitor. A nice view out a window may also be comforting.

5. Listen to a loved one’s preferences

If a loved one is able to communicate what they would like, we should ask and take their preferences into account when preparing the home. They may have thoughts on which room they would like to be in, how much noise and foot traffic would be acceptable to them, and what items they would like to have access to. 

Whatever we decide, we should make sure the environment is conducive to supportive, healthy and loving care.