Equipment and Aids for the Elderly at Home

The short answer

Get the bigger items assessed before you buyA hoist, a hospital-type bed or a raised toilet seat should be recommended by an occupational therapist, who can also show you how to use it safely.
Much of it is loaned free, not soldOnce assessed, this equipment is usually loaned at no cost, whatever your parent's income or savings.
Start with the bathroom and the bedroomThese are the two rooms where the wrong or missing equipment matters most.
Take your time over the bigger purchasesA written quote, time to think and the right VAT rate (0% or 5% for qualifying older and disabled buyers) are worth more than a discount that ends today.

None of this replaces somebody seeing your parent often enough to notice when a new piece of equipment is needed. A companionship visit costs around £15 to £20 an hour on PrimeCarers, with our fee included.

Free to download

The equipment route planner, to fill in before you buy

The three routes in this guide, turned into a planner for your parent's home. Each room has a picture with the equipment numbered and every item marked with its route, so you know what to ask the occupational therapist for and what to buy. Then the questions to ask at the visit and at hoist training, and a record of what is on loan and who collects it.

Every item room by room, marked occupational therapist, wheelchair service or buy yourself
Questions for the assessment visit and for hoist training
A loan record, in eight A4 pages that print well in black and white

Before you buy anything

Work out which route each piece of equipment needs

Equipment for an older or less mobile person falls into three groups, and they are not sorted by room or by price. They are sorted by who needs to look at it first.

Arranged by an occupational therapist

Assessed, then usually provided free on loan

These need someone trained to look at the task, the person and the equipment together, so they are not bought blind. Once assessed, most are loaned at no cost, whatever your parent's income or savings, and returned when no longer needed.

Grab rails
Raised toilet seat
Hospital-type bed
Pressure-relieving mattress
Manual or standing hoist
Turning aid

Arranged by the NHS wheelchair service

A separate assessment, run by the wheelchair service

Wheelchairs for regular, long-term use go through their own local NHS service rather than the council occupational therapist, with its own referral and its own waiting list.

Manual wheelchair for daily use
Powered wheelchair, where eligible

No assessment needed

Ordinary aids you can buy yourself

Everyday items that make a task easier and carry little risk if they turn out not to suit. Worth trying before spending much, since not everyone finds the same thing helpful.

Walking stick or frame
Non-slip mats
Comfort-grip cutlery
Kettle tipper
Perching stool
Touch or sensor lamp
Grab stick (reacher)

Buying the wrong item can do more harm than wasting money. A bed with the wrong sides fitted, or a hoist used without training, can trap or injure someone who was safer with nothing at all, which is why the first group goes through an occupational therapist rather than a shop. Asking the council for an assessment is free and does not depend on savings, and what equipment an older person can get free lists what the council and the NHS can loan. If the wider home needs a look, reducing fall and trip risks in the home covers the room-by-room walk-through that usually comes first.

You can get the free printable PDF to keep with this guide.

The bedroom

Equipment for the bedroom: getting up, and a call for help in the night

Most of what matters in the bedroom is getting in and out of bed safely, and not being alone in the dark if help is needed.

Bed rails, bed levers and profiling beds sets out the safety guidance on the item in this room most worth getting right. For a fall at night with nobody else in the house, choosing a personal alarm covers who answers the call and whether there is a contract.

A profiling bed and pressure-relieving mattress

For someone who spends long periods in bed, a bed that raises at the head and knees, with a mattress that relieves pressure, helps them sit up and reduces the risk of pressure sores. An occupational therapist or district nurse arranges this, usually on loan.

Assessed, usually free

Bed rails, bed levers and grab handles

A lever that helps someone sit up is different from a full rail down one side, which can trap somebody trying to climb over it. The MHRA, which regulates medicines and medical devices, publishes guidance on bed rail safety for this reason.

Needs assessing, not a DIY fit

A lamp, and a way to call for help

A touch lamp or plug-in sensor light avoids fumbling for a switch in the dark. A personal alarm worn on the wrist or round the neck covers the times the phone is out of reach.

Buy yourself, no assessment needed

A doorstop and a commode

A doorstop stops a bedroom door swinging shut on someone who cannot easily reopen it. A commode beside the bed shortens the walk to a toilet at night, which matters most for someone who has fallen, or nearly fallen, on that journey before.

Buy yourself, cheap either way

The bathroom

Equipment for the bathroom, the room to get right first

Wet floors, a high bath edge and hard surfaces make the bathroom the room where equipment makes the biggest difference to safety.

Bathroom aids for the elderly goes through grab rails, toilet frames and shower chairs, and which are free on loan after an assessment. If getting into the bath is the problem, bath lifts and bath boards covers the cheaper ways to keep using it. When building work is the answer, walk-in baths for the elderly and walk-in showers and wet rooms set out what to check first.

A raised toilet seat or toilet frame

Standing up from a low toilet becomes harder with age, and it is one of the tasks people are most reluctant to ask for help with. A raised seat with a frame or rails, fitted to the right height, restores much of that independence.

Assessed, usually free

Bath boards, seats, lifts and non-slip mats

A bath board, a bath seat or a powered bath lift is worth an occupational therapist's advice on fit. A non-slip mat inside and outside the bath is a cheap, sensible buy either way.

Assessed for the bigger items, buy the mats yourself

A wall-fixed grab rail

A rail screwed into a solid wall, not a towel rail, next to the bath, shower or toilet. Where it goes and at what angle depends on how your parent moves.

Assessed for the right height and angle

A walk-in bath or level-access shower

Worth considering once the edge of the bath has become the main obstacle to washing safely. This is building work, so it usually goes through the grant route below.

A bigger, often funded change

Stairs, hallway and the way in

The stairs, the hallway and the way into the house

Equipment in one room only helps if your parent can get to it, and the stairs, the hallway and the front step are easily left off a room-by-room list.

Stairlifts: costs, new or reconditioned, and grants covers the biggest purchase in this part of the house, and stairs, stairlifts and moving downstairs helps decide whether a stairlift is the right answer at all. Once a carer starts visiting, key safes for carers explains how to let them in safely.

A second stair rail, or a stairlift

A second banister, so there is something to hold on both sides, is a minor adaptation an occupational therapist can arrange. A stairlift can be bought new, reconditioned or rented, and may be funded through a Disabled Facilities Grant.

Rail usually free, stairlift bought or grant-funded

Grab rails along the hallway

A rail along a hallway wall or at a turn in the corridor deserves the same conversation about height and position as a rail by the bath.

Assessed for the right position

A ramp over a step, and non-slip strips outside

A single step at the door can keep somebody housebound once they use a frame or wheelchair, so ask about a ramp. Anti-slip strips or paint on outdoor steps are cheap and worth doing straightaway.

Ramps assessed, strips bought yourself

A key safe by the front door

A small locked box holding a door key lets a carer, a neighbour or a paramedic in without your parent getting up. A police-approved model is worth the extra cost.

Bought yourself, or through a council scheme

Kitchen and living room

Equipment for the kitchen and living room: less bending, less standing

Nothing here needs an assessment. These are ordinary home aids that reduce how often someone has to bend, stretch, lift or fight their way out of a chair.

The biggest purchase here is usually a riser recliner chair, and riser recliner chairs explains how to measure for one and the difference between single and dual motors. VAT relief on mobility aids explains when one with a lift or tilt function can be bought without VAT.

A hot water dispenser, and comfort-grip cutlery

A dispenser removes the lifting and pouring a full kettle involves, and thicker-handled cutlery helps with arthritis or a weaker hand.

Buy yourself

A perching stool, used with a non-slip mat

Lets someone prepare food sitting rather than standing, without giving up the task. A non-slip mat underneath matters as much as the stool.

Buy yourself, or ask the occupational therapist

A riser recliner chair with a firm seat

A chair that helps someone to stand, rather than a low, soft sofa, can make a difference to how often they get up during the day. Try one first, since the right seat height and firmness varies.

A bigger buy, worth trying first

A grab stick, and things kept within reach

A grab stick reaches the floor or a low shelf without bending. Keeping the phone, glasses and walking aid in the same spot avoids reaching too far for one of them.

Buy yourself

Walking aids, wheelchairs and hoists

Walking aids, wheelchairs and hoists: moving and handling equipment and how you get it

These range from a walking stick bought over the counter to a hoist that needs two trained people, so the right route matters more here than anywhere else in the house.

Choosing a walking aid compares a stick, a frame and a rollator, and why a physiotherapist sets the height. Transfers, hoists and two carers covers moving someone safely once a hoist is in the house.

Which route each item takes

	How you get it	Worth knowing
A walking stick or frame	Buy from a pharmacy or mobility shop	No assessment needed, though a physiotherapist can advise on height and type if your parent is unsteady on one side. A frame with wheels, a seat or a basket is worth trying in person, since the right one depends on strength, balance and stairs.
A wheelchair for regular, long-term use	The NHS wheelchair service, on loan	A GP, physiotherapist or occupational therapist can refer your parent, and in many areas you can refer them yourself.
A wheelchair for a short-term need, or while waiting	Hire	The British Red Cross hires wheelchairs, and some shopping centres run Shopmobility.
A manual hoist and sling	Recommended by an occupational therapist	For someone who cannot weight-bear. Usually needs two people.
A standing hoist or turning aid	Recommended by an occupational therapist	For someone who can weight-bear with support. Can sometimes be managed by one trained person.
A ceiling track hoist	Discussed alongside other adaptations	A structural fitting, planned with any other changes to that room.

A walking stick or frame

How you get it: Buy from a pharmacy or mobility shop
Worth knowing: No assessment needed, though a physiotherapist can advise on height and type if your parent is unsteady on one side. A frame with wheels, a seat or a basket is worth trying in person, since the right one depends on strength, balance and stairs.

A wheelchair for regular, long-term use

How you get it: The NHS wheelchair service, on loan
Worth knowing: A GP, physiotherapist or occupational therapist can refer your parent, and in many areas you can refer them yourself.

A wheelchair for a short-term need, or while waiting

How you get it: Hire
Worth knowing: The British Red Cross hires wheelchairs, and some shopping centres run Shopmobility.

A manual hoist and sling

How you get it: Recommended by an occupational therapist
Worth knowing: For someone who cannot weight-bear. Usually needs two people.

A standing hoist or turning aid

How you get it: Recommended by an occupational therapist
Worth knowing: For someone who can weight-bear with support. Can sometimes be managed by one trained person.

A ceiling track hoist

How you get it: Discussed alongside other adaptations
Worth knowing: A structural fitting, planned with any other changes to that room.

The NHS page on walking aids, wheelchairs and mobility scooters sets out the referral routes, and the British Red Cross wheelchair hire service covers a short-term need.

Getting it free or funded

How to get it: assessment, loan, grants and VAT relief

Most of what is worth having in this guide starts with the same phone call, whether the end result is a raised toilet seat or a hoist.

1
Ask the council for an occupational therapy assessment
Free, any income
Contact adult social services at your parent's council and ask for a home assessment. In many areas you can refer yourself or complete an online self-assessment, without a GP referral.
2
Assessed equipment usually arrives on loan
Free at the point of use
Items an occupational therapist recommends are usually loaned free through the community equipment service, whatever your parent's income or savings, and collected once no longer needed.
3
Ask separately about a wheelchair
A different service, its own waiting list
The NHS wheelchair service handles this, so mention it as its own request.
4
Bigger building work goes through a grant
Up to £30,000 in England, means-tested
A level-access shower, a ramp or a stairlift can be funded through a Disabled Facilities Grant once an occupational therapist has recommended it. Wait for approval before any work starts.
5
Buy the small, everyday aids yourself
No need to wait
Non-slip mats, comfort-grip cutlery or a kettle tipper need no assessment.

Local authority funding explains the wider council assessment if money for ongoing care is also part of the conversation.

Buying privately

Buying equipment privately: independent views, and what to ask a supplier

For a stairlift, a riser chair or a walk-in bath you pay for yourself, the useful questions are about how the supplier sells rather than which brand to choose.

This guide does not name makers or suppliers. For views on brands, Which? later life care publishes guides and reviews, the Research Institute for Disabled Consumers (RiDC) tests products with disabled and older people, and Living Made Easy gives impartial information on everyday aids. The British Healthcare Trades Association runs a code of practice for its member suppliers.

Before you sign for a bigger purchase

0 of 7 ticked

The quote

A written quote showing the item, the fitting and the VAT rateIf your parent qualifies for 0% or 5% VAT, the quote should show it.
More than one quote, and an occupational therapist's view firstA grant or the equipment service may cover the same need.
No discount that is only available todayA price that holds only if you sign during the visit is a reason to slow down.

Your right to change your mind

A 14-day cancellation period for sales made at homeA contract signed at home can usually be cancelled within 14 days under the Consumer Contracts Regulations. Goods made to the buyer's own specification can be excluded, so ask in writing which applies.
The deposit, and when it is refundableKeep it small until the cancellation period is clear.

After it is fitted

The warranty, in writingWhat it covers, such as the motor or door seal, and who comes out if it fails.
The manual release or battery backup, shown workingAsk to see what happens in a power cut before the installer leaves.

The cancellation period is set out in regulation 30 of the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, and gov.uk's consumer protection page lists advice lines if something goes wrong.

Where a carer fits

Where a carer fits alongside the equipment

Equipment makes a task safer, but it cannot notice when something has changed.

Getting up, washing and going to bed are the times a grab rail or a riser chair is used most, and the times a fall is more likely with nobody there. A carer visiting then can help with the task, and is there often enough to notice when equipment has stopped being used or no longer fits. While a grant for bigger work is being decided, help with the wash itself can be the quicker answer.

Hourly care visits cost around £18 to £25 an hour on PrimeCarers, with our fee included, and personal care explains help with washing, dressing and the toilet. For a parent who gets up in the night, care for falls and toilet trips at night covers someone staying over. Carers on PrimeCarers are self-employed. Each has had an ID check, a right to work check, an enhanced DBS check (or PVG in Scotland, Access NI in Northern Ireland) issued within the last 2 years, and an online interview. References and reviews on profiles are unverified, so ask each carer about the equipment your parent uses.

Questions

Questions families ask about equipment for an elderly parent

Not for ordinary aids like non-slip mats or a walking stick. Bigger items that move or support someone, such as a hoist, a profiling bed or full bed rails, should be assessed by an occupational therapist first, because the wrong item can injure the person it is meant to help.

Contact adult social services at your parent's council and ask for a home assessment. It is free regardless of income, and in many areas you can refer yourself. How council assessments work.

Equipment an occupational therapist recommends, such as grab rails, a raised toilet seat, a hospital-type bed or a hoist, is usually loaned free whatever your parent's income or savings. Everyday aids you choose yourself are paid for like any other purchase. What equipment an older person can get free sets out what the council, the NHS and charities provide.

Someone with a long-term illness or disability pays 0% VAT on equipment designed for their condition. Someone aged 60 or over without a qualifying condition pays 5% on grab rails, ramps, stairlifts, bath lifts, built-in shower seats and walk-in baths with sealable doors, when supplied and installed at home. VAT relief on mobility aids.

A wheelchair for regular use comes from the local NHS wheelchair service, not the council occupational therapist. A GP, physiotherapist or occupational therapist can refer your parent, and in some areas you can refer them yourself. For a short-term need, the British Red Cross hires wheelchairs.

A manual hoist for someone who cannot bear any weight usually needs two people, one to operate it and one to keep the person steady. A standing hoist, for someone who can take some weight, can sometimes be managed by one trained person. Whoever uses it needs to have been shown how.

A bed lever helps someone pull themselves up or steady themselves. A full rail running the length of the bed stops someone rolling out, but can trap or injure them if they climb over it to reach the toilet. Bed rails and getting out of bed safely.

Equipment and aids for the elderly at home: what helps and how to get it