Returning home

A stroke may affect your mobility and ability to do things around the house the same way you did before. To make it easier and safer to move around at home, you may wish to consider making changes such as:

rearranging furniture and removing rugs from floors
buying special equipment such as bath seats and grab bars
adding ramps and handrails

Your Occupational Therapist (OT) can help you decide what equipment and changes are needed in your home. If you need help to pay for this, talk to your health care team. You may be able to get funding from community or government agencies.

To continue to live well and safely in your own home, you may need to request help from agencies in your community. You may need to get help with tasks around the house such as cooking (for example, Meal on Wheels) and cleaning (for example, homemaking services). Many cities will take care of clearing ice and snow on the city portion of the sidewalk for seniors and people with disabilities.

Some cities may provide a list of companies that can help with yard work and home maintenance.

If you are unable to return to your home, your health care team and Home and Community Care (310-2222) will help you consider other options such as a retirement home or a long term care facility.

Having read the information in this section, consider the following:

Do I need to make changes to my home so I can move around safely?
Do I need any devices to get in and out of my home (for example: a railing, ramp or stairlift)?
Do I know what funding is available to help with the cost of making changes to my home?
Do I need help from family, friends or neighbours to manage at home?
Will I need home care or other paid services to help me in my home?
Do I have an alert system so I can call for help in case of an emergency (for example, a medical alert device or a cell phone)?
Do I have any concerns about living safely on my own?
Do I know what my options are if I can no longer live in my home?