Preparing your home
Plan ahead, get organised, and make checklists before going home. This can help make the patient’s transition as comfortable as possible.
Before the patient comes home, look around to assess the space. Make sure there is appropriate room for the required equipment and supplies. Make sure Emergency Medical Services would have easy access to reach the patient in case of an emergency. Be sure to have a clear path to the patient.
Typically, home care patients spend a lot of time in one room, so set up the designated space for comfort and efficiency.
Home pre-assessment
supply checklist
✔ Blunt-nose bandage
scissorschamber and
tubing (when applicable)
✔ Facial tissues
✔ Container (for catheter
rinse water)
✔ Cotton swabs
✔ Disposable sterile gloves
(like those used by
healthcare providers)
✔ Hydrogen peroxide
✔ Syringe (for use with a
cuffed tube)
✔ Drain sponges (for
tracheostomy)
✔ Replacement inner
cannula (for products
using disposable inner
cannula) or temporary
inner cannula for
use while cleaning
reusable inner cannula
✔ Replacement tubes
(for tracheostomy —
one the same size
and one smaller)
✔ Sterile 4" x 4" gauze pads
✔ Sterile normal saline or
sterile water
✔ Suction catheters
(tracheal, oral,
and nasal)
✔ Suction canisters
✔ Suction machine with
connecting tubing
✔ Tube mask/trach collar
✔ Twill tape or other tube
holders (to secure the
tracheostomy tube in
place)
✔ Water-soluble lubricant
✔ Manual resuscitation bag
✔ (At least one) Spare
ventilator circuit
✔ Spare exhalation valve
✔ Spare HEPA filters
✔ Spare heat-moisture
exchangers (HMEs),
if applicable
✔ Spare heated
humidification supplies
such as
Don’t be afraid to ask for help
4 things to remember when arrange outside support
- Establish a network of friends, neighbours, and family who live nearby.
- Ask them to check in with the patient at routine intervals, particularly if the caregiver is not on-site around the clock.
- Also ask if they can be available for emergencies.
- Remember to have on hand any medications or treatments needed if the patient experiences respiratory (breathing) distress.
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This material is intended to be educational and is not a diagnostic tool. It is not intended to replace the information provided to you by your healthcare providers and does not constitute medical advice. The information may not be directly applicable for your individual clinical circumstance. Please refer to the manufacturers’ prescribing information and/or instructions for use for the indications, contraindications, warnings, and precautions associated with the [medications and] devices referenced in these materials.