Home Safety and Mobility Equipment: What to Get First
Most families buy home safety equipment reactively, after a fall or a hospital stay. A short priority list, tackled before a crisis, is cheaper and far less stressful. Pair this with our room-by-room fall prevention checklist for the full picture.
Start here — low-cost, high-impact
- Grab bars near the toilet and inside the shower — installed into wall studs, not just suction-mounted.
- A raised toilet seat or a toilet safety frame.
- A shower chair or transfer bench, plus a handheld showerhead.
- A non-slip bath mat inside and outside the tub or shower.
Next tier — bigger purchases, worth checking coverage first
- A hospital bed for anyone who needs to be elevated for breathing, has significant fall risk getting in or out of a standard bed, or needs frequent repositioning — often Medicare-covered with a doctor’s order; see our DME coverage guide.
- A bedside commode if the bathroom is far from the bedroom or a nighttime fall risk is high.
- A patient lift if a caregiver is helping transfer someone who can’t bear weight — this protects the caregiver’s back as much as it protects the person being moved.
Mobility aids — matched to the actual need
A walker, rollator, wheelchair, or scooter are not interchangeable — picking the wrong one is a common and preventable safety mistake. See our guide to choosing the right mobility aid before buying.
Don’t skip: a way to call for help
Equipment prevents falls; it doesn’t help once one happens. A medical alert system closes that gap, especially for anyone who lives alone or spends significant time alone during the day.
Looking for one? See our Medical equipment & supplies directory — every listing is a clearly-labeled, flat-fee placement, never a referral fee, never tied to whether you hire them.