Getting your home ready before hip replacement surgery is one of the most consequential things you can do before surgery day, and one of the easiest to put off. The first two weeks at home are when fall risk is highest and when bending restrictions turn ordinary tasks — lowering onto a toilet, picking something up off the floor, getting out of a soft chair — into real obstacles. A few hours of setup before you leave solves problems you won’t want to solve when you get back.
This guide walks through each room with specific things to move, buy, and test so everything is ready when you need it.
Understand Your Hip Precautions First
Most hip replacement patients are given movement restrictions designed to protect the new joint while the surrounding tissue heals. The most common version, called posterior precautions, covers three things: don’t bend the hip past 90 degrees, don’t cross your legs, and don’t rotate your foot inward. Your surgeon will tell you exactly which precautions apply to you, and you should confirm them before you come home.
These restrictions are what make setup non-negotiable. Tying your shoes, sitting in a low chair, stepping into a standard shower, and using a regular toilet all become problems if you are not prepared. The good news is that most of these problems have simple, inexpensive solutions.
Set Up Your Bedroom for Easy Transfers
Your bed height matters more than you might expect. When you sit on the edge, your hips need to stay above your knees, which is the threshold that keeps you within your precautions. If your bed is low, a set of bed risers under the frame is a cheap fix worth doing before surgery. Test it before you leave: sit on the edge and check. If your hips drop below your knees, raise the bed.
Clear a wide, unobstructed path on the side of the bed you will use. A walker needs a straight line from the doorway to the bed with no rugs, cords, or furniture in the way. Remove these things entirely, not just pushed to the side. A loose rug edge at 2 a.m. on your first night home is exactly the hazard you are trying to eliminate.
Set up your nightstand before you leave. Phone, charger, water bottle, a lamp within reach — everything you might want overnight. Getting up unnecessarily in the first week is what you are trying to avoid.
Make Your Bathroom Safer Before You Arrive Home
A standard toilet is too low for most hip replacement patients in the first several weeks. Sitting down puts the hip past the 90-degree threshold you need to stay within. A Drive Medical Raised Toilet Seat with Arms adds 5 inches and brings you back into range, with grab bars on both sides to help you get back up. Install it before you leave for the hospital. Arriving home and discovering the toilet is not set up yet is a problem you do not want to solve while holding onto a walker and backing toward it.
For the shower, a Drive Medical Shower Chair lets you sit while bathing rather than balancing on one leg. A handheld showerhead lets you direct water without twisting. A long-handled bath sponge lets you reach your lower leg and foot without bending forward. All three together address the main difficulties of showering in the first several weeks. If you have a tub rather than a walk-in shower, a Drive Medical Tub Transfer Bench lets you slide in seated rather than stepping over the edge, which is the right solution for that setup.
If you do not already have grab bars in your shower or next to your toilet, this is the time to address that. Talk to your care team or a home health supplier about what makes sense for your specific bathroom before surgery.
Arrange Your Living Room Around Where You Will Actually Sit
Your main chair needs to pass the same test as your bed: hips above knees when seated. Many sofas fail this, and the problem is not obvious until you try to stand without bending too far forward. A firm chair cushion can raise the seat height enough to make a difference. Avoid deep, soft sofas entirely for the first several weeks. The effort of getting out of one while staying within your precautions is more than it sounds.
A rolling side table or small cart next to your main chair is worth setting up before you leave. Remote, phone, charger, water — anything you reach for regularly. If something small drops on the floor early in recovery and you cannot safely retrieve it, you will understand why this matters. Our wedge pillows page covers options for leg elevation during the day, which your care team may recommend for swelling management. The Lunix LX5 4-Piece Orthopedic Wedge Pillow Set works well for daytime elevation on a couch or recliner and holds position without constant adjustment.
Simplify the Kitchen Before Surgery Day
Move anything you use regularly to counter height before you leave. Reaching into low cabinets or bending to a low shelf is difficult with posterior precautions, and you will discover this the first time you go for something that has always lived on the bottom shelf.
A tall kitchen stool or counter-height chair lets you sit while making food, which is far more comfortable than standing for more than a few minutes in the first week. Stock the freezer and pantry with easy meals before surgery. The less cooking involved in week one, the better.
Check the Entryway and Any Stairs
If your home has stairs, ask your surgical team for the protocol before you come home. Some programs restrict stairs entirely for the first week. Others walk you through the correct technique: lead with the stronger leg going up, lead with the surgical leg going down. Know the plan before surgery day so there is no uncertainty at the door.
Check your entry threshold for uneven surfaces, curled rug edges, or anything a walker foot could catch. Remove welcome mats. Have slip-on shoes or loose slippers accessible near the door, since tying shoes requires bending to foot level. Our slip-on shoes page has options with non-slip soles and enough width for early-recovery swelling.
Two Tests to Run Before You Leave for the Hospital
Before surgery day, do a dry run of both of these:
The sit test. Sit on your bed, your main chair, and your toilet with the raised seat installed. Confirm your hips stay above your knees in all three positions. If any of them fail, fix it now while you still can.
The walker path test. Walk your usual morning route through the house using a broom handle or walking stick as a stand-in for a walker. Check every doorway, turn, and threshold. Look specifically for rugs, cords, and anything a walker foot could catch on.
If both tests pass, you are ready. Most patients who do this are glad they did.
ComfyPostOp does not provide medical advice. Always follow the guidance of your surgeon and care team. Product recommendations are based on research and editorial judgment. This site participates in the Amazon Associates program and may earn a commission on qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.