My dad has had PD for 20 years. His mobility has become increasingly worse and although he was managing to walk small distances inside the house with a rollator and get up stairs using a stairlift, we had been recently looking into an electric wheelchair option.
Last week he had two bad falls and fractured his hip. He had hip surgery on Friday and is now 2 days into hospital recovery.
It is very early days but we are trying to plan for what he will need, assuming he is able to come home. We are seeking both NHS and private OT advice but this is slow to come by.
Can anyone who has been in a similar position offer any advice on:
Adapted/hospital beds that we can have at home. There are lots available to buy/rent but I would love a recommendation of a specific product!
Toilet adaptors/commodes
Armchair - any particular model/brand people have found comfortable, stable and easy to get in and out of
Aids for washing when he cannot get to a shower or bath (both upstairs)
Any other home equipment you or people that help with caring would recommend.
Thank you for sharing your post, and we’re sorry to hear about your dad’s fall and hip surgery. That’s a lot to be dealing with, especially after such a long journey with Parkinson’s.
You’re right that it’s early days, but planning ahead can help. An occupational therapist may be helpful for your dad’s situation, as they can assess his needs and his home environment, and recommend suitable equipment.
Parkinson’s nurses can also be involved in planning support before he comes home, so it’s worth asking about this while he’s still in hospital.
Hopefully other members of this forum who’ve been through something similar can share what worked well for them.
We’re also here for you, if you ever need to chat to someone in our team. You can reach us on freephone 0808 800 0303, and we’re always happy to talk things through.
I read your post and can entirely understand your concerns and the need to plan ahead so that your Dad’s future can be made ready for whatever lies ahead. I would be the last person to say you shouldn’t do this and you are clearly very aware it is early days but therein lies the rub. At this stage your father’s recovery will be something of an unknown and until it is clearer how this will go, in my opinion, it is a bit too soon to be talking so specifically about equipment he might need because he may not need it or need something different to what you have bought thinking it would fit By all means carry on finding out about the sorts of things that are available (and the advice already given is a good place to start) not least because you will be better placed to ask relevant questions and make decisions, but you don’t have to have everything sorted right now. You need to have a clearer picture of how he is recovering from what would have been quite an ordeal. The other equally important thing is how your Dad sees his own future and what he wants. Remember too, whilst I know the system is not perfect, the hospital do have a duty of care which includes safe discharge.
Please be assured that I am in no way being critical of what you are asking in your post, that is entirely understandable and as I said you are aware it is early days. All I’m saying is if you wait until you have a clearer idea of his recovery then, then you will be able to sort out what he needs, depending on where he will be and what he wants and needs rather than trying to address all possible options this early on
