Home Aids for Elderly People: Everyday Equipment and Who Can Help
26 October 2026
Home aids for elderly people are the items that help with everyday tasks at home, such as walking, bathing and getting up from a chair. This guide explains the main kinds, what each one is for and who can help you choose, without recommending any product.
Choosing an aid is a personal decision. What helps one person can get in the way of another, so the safest starting point is a conversation with a GP or an occupational therapist rather than a shopping list.
What counts as a home aid?
Healthdirect describes mobility aids as devices to help you make everyday tasks or activities easier and safer. In practice, aids at home fall into a few groups: walking aids, bathroom aids, seating, and ways to call for help.
Healthdirect also says mobility aids can help a wide range of people, including older people, people recovering from an injury and people with chronic conditions. Needing one is not a sign of failing. It can be a way to keep doing what you already do, with less risk.
Walking aids
Healthdirect says walking aids give you extra support to help keep your balance and walk more easily. The examples it lists are canes, crutches, walking sticks and walking frames.
Which one suits someone depends on their balance, strength and the layout of their home, and that is a question for a health professional. Healthdirect says it is important to use the right mobility aid for your condition and to get it fitted and installed safely.
Aids for the bathroom
The bathroom combines wet floors and hard surfaces, so it is worth a close look. Healthdirect's falls page suggests these changes for wet areas and steps:
Use non-slip mats in wet zones, such as the shower and bathroom.
Install handrails or a seat in the shower or bath.
Place non-skid tape on the edges of steps and stairs to make them easier to see.
Where a rail or seat should go, and what it needs to be fixed to, depends on the room. An occupational therapist can help here. The same page points to occupational therapists who can help you assess your home and make safety changes.
Seating and getting up
Getting up from a low chair or a bed is a common struggle. Healthdirect says electric recliner chairs help you sit down and get up more easily, and that they often have adjustable heights to make sitting down and standing up easier.
You do not have to buy anything to start. Raising the seat height of a favourite chair, or moving it closer to a table, can be worth discussing with an occupational therapist before you spend money on new furniture.
Calling for help and seeing clearly
Two items are easy to overlook. Healthdirect says you may find it reassuring to carry a personal alarm, which you can use to quickly call for help if you fall.
Good lighting is the other. Healthdirect says to leave hallway lights on at night. That keeps the way to the bathroom easier to see. The home safety checklist walks through the rest of the house, room by room.
Who can help you choose
Healthdirect says occupational therapists can help you find and use equipment to maintain your independence. It lists occupational therapists, registered nurses, physiotherapists, GPs and specialists among those who can prescribe mobility aids.
An occupational therapist looks at what you want to do, what is hard right now and what your home is like, then suggests changes. Healthdirect says a referral is not needed to see one, but you will need a referral from your doctor if you plan to claim your costs through a government funding scheme. It also says the cost varies and that you should call and ask about the cost before making an appointment.
CareVicinity is the marketplace: it does not employ clinicians and does not provide, deliver, supervise, manage or clinically oversee any service, including nursing or allied health.
What it costs and where to get aids
Healthdirect says some mobility aids can be expensive, and that others can be rented or used for free for a short time. Ask the health professional who recommends an aid whether renting or trying one first is an option.
Check any funding rules with the organisation that administers them before you buy or book anything. This guide does not state what any program covers.
Everyday help while you work it out
Aids can sit alongside everyday support. If you are noticing that stairs, the shower or standing from a low chair are getting harder, our guide to the signs it might be time to consider in-home support can help you decide what to do next.
If you would like to know what a first visit from a support worker looks like, read about the first in-home support visit. To see how to find a support worker, visit the receive care page.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a referral to see an occupational therapist? Healthdirect says a referral is not needed to see an occupational therapist. However, it says you will need a referral from your doctor if you plan to claim your costs through a government funding scheme. It also says your doctor can refer you to a specific one.
Who can recommend which aid to use? Healthdirect lists occupational therapists, registered nurses, physiotherapists, doctors and specialists as people who can prescribe mobility aids. After a thorough assessment, they can help you choose the best aid for you.
Can a support worker choose an aid for me? A support worker can help with everyday tasks, but choosing and fitting an aid is a decision for you and a health professional.
What if an aid does not feel right? Healthdirect says mobility aids can be unsafe and cause injuries if not used correctly. If an aid does not feel right, speak to the health professional who recommended it.
Sources
Mobility aids, healthdirect, read 26 October 2026.
Falls, healthdirect, read 26 October 2026.
Occupational therapy, healthdirect, read 26 October 2026.