A spare room looks ready. It may not fit the person who is going to sleep in it. Before your parent arrives, walk your own house as if you were the one who had to get in, out, and across it. Then fix what you find.

Local option: New Plan Care gives families in the St. Louis area in-home help so a parent can stay home: companionship, help with bathing and dressing, meals, and overnight care. Call (314) 405-0887.

Start at the entry

Count the steps from the car to the front door, and note the height of each one. Check whether there are rails on one side or both, and whether the rail is solid. Look for a threshold or a lip at the door. Stand where your parent will stand and note whether there is room for a walking aid to sit beside them while they open the door. The National Institute on Aging publishes general home safety guidance that covers entries and clear pathways, and it is a useful checklist to print.

Check the bed and the rise

Sit on the bed your parent will use. A low, soft mattress is hard to get out of. A bed that is too high can be hard to climb onto. Ask the hospital's therapy team what they observed about your parent getting up from a bed, and whether they noted a height they want you to use. Then have an adult of similar build sit on the edge and stand without using hands. Check that there is clear floor space on the side the walker will use.

Walk the route at your parent's speed

Walk from the bed to the bathroom and from the bed to the kitchen at the pace your parent walks now, not your own. Note thresholds, rugs, cords, pet gates, and any stairs on the way. If the bathroom is down a flight of stairs from the room you plan to use, say so now and decide whether the room, the stairs, or the schedule has to change. Count the route in steps and write the number down.

Pick a chair that works for standing

Choose a chair with arms and a seat that lets both feet sit flat on the floor. A deep, soft couch is often hard to rise from. Place the chair where the phone charger, the television remote, and a table for water all reach without a stretch. Test it by sitting down and standing up in front of a friend who is watching.

Decide who is home for what

Write down your work hours for the first week. For each block, name the adult who will be in the house, and name the backup if that person cannot come. Do not plan around one person covering the whole week. If you plan to hire a companion for errands, keep the medicines with the family, the doctor, and the pharmacist. A companion can remind, drive, and pick up a prescription, and no more than that on the medicine side.

Look at the house as your parent will see it

Look for cords across the floor, loose throw rugs, the pet that always sleeps in the hallway, and the bag or box your parent will need within reach. Move what can be moved. Keep the final fit list on paper with the room, the route, and the names of who checked each item. The Start Here reading order on this site shows which pages to read after you have finished the walk-through.

Your Spare Room Is Not Yet a Recovery Room: Fit a Temporary Stay to Your Own House