What equipment can I get to help care for someone dying at home?
Equipment for dying at home may include a hospital bed, commode, pressure mattress, slide sheets and continence supplies.
Equipment for dying at home may include a hospital bed, commode, pressure mattress, slide sheets and continence supplies. The right equipment depends on the person's needs, the home, and who is providing care.
Ask the palliative care team, hospital discharge planner, GP, nurse, aged care service or community service early. Some equipment takes time to arrange.
General information: This page gives general information for people in Australia. It cannot tell you exactly what is happening in one person's situation. If you have concerns about a symptom, medicine, treatment decision or change in someone's condition, contact their doctor, palliative care team, nurse or other treating health professional.
Common equipment
The team may suggest:
- a hospital bed
- pressure-relieving mattress or cushion
- bedside commode
- shower chair
- over-bed table
- walking frame or wheelchair
- slide sheets
- continence pads and bed pads
- urinal bottle or bedpan
- oxygen only if clinically needed
- medicine storage and sharps container if injections are used.
Not every home needs every item. Too much equipment can make a room harder to move around in.
Who may arrange it
Equipment may be arranged through public community palliative care, a hospital, aged care services, disability services, community nursing, private hire companies or local equipment loan services.
Costs and eligibility vary. Ask what is free, what is loaned, what must be bought or hired, and who collects it later.
What to plan for at home
Check whether there is space for a bed and carers to move around it. Think about power points, bathroom access, stairs, heating and cooling, pets, children, and whether a nurse can reach the bed safely.
Ask whether the person can still use the toilet or shower safely. Needs can change quickly.
Equipment does not replace people
Equipment can make care easier, but it does not remove the need for people. A dying person at home may need help day and night with medicines, toileting, turning, mouth care, symptoms and reassurance.
Ask what help is available after hours and what to do if caring at home becomes too hard.
When to get help now
Contact the palliative care team, GP, nurse or aged care staff if the person cannot be moved safely, has falls, severe pain with care, pressure sores, breathlessness, toileting problems, or if you cannot manage at home.
Call 000 if there is a sudden life-threatening emergency and no end-of-life plan telling you what to do.
You may also want to read
- What support is needed for someone to die at home?
- How do I manage toileting when someone can no longer get out of bed?
- How often should I turn someone who is dying in bed?
- Can someone really die at home with proper medical support?