The warm Mobility Co showroom in Cheltenham, set up like a home with lift recliners and an adjustable bed

Mobility Equipment After a Stroke: A Family Guide

In short: After a stroke, the right equipment at home can make everyday things safer and easier, and can support recovery: a chair that helps you rise and sits comfortably for longer, a bed that helps with positioning and getting up, and a walking aid matched to where you are now, with room to adjust as things improve. There is real hope in that: Australia’s Stroke Foundation notes that prescribed exercises can rebuild strength, coordination and balance, and that regular activity keeps aiding recovery well beyond the first six months. What suits changes as recovery does, so trying before buying really matters. We work alongside your rehab team and offer a free assessment and in-home demonstrations. Call 1300 225 203.

Getting in and out of a chair safely

After a stroke, rising from a low or soft chair can be one of the hardest and least safe moments of the day. A lift recliner chair uses a powered motor to tilt gently forward and help you to your feet, and reclines for comfortable rest. If someone is spending long periods seated, pressure care and good positioning matter, which is where features like tilt-in-space and a pressure-reducing seat help. If fit is difficult, a made-to-measure chair can be set up to the person. Our lift recliner chair guide and our guide to a chair that fits your body go into detail.

A lift recliner at home in a comfortable lounge, chosen to help with rising and resting.
A lift recliner at home in a comfortable lounge, chosen to help with rising and resting.

Resting, sleeping and getting up

An adjustable bed can make a real difference after a stroke, helping with positioning, sitting up to eat or read, and getting in and out of bed more safely. Raising the head and knees can also help with comfort and swelling. We can match the bed and mattress and set it all up at home. See our adjustable beds guide, and if getting in and out of bed is a worry, our how-to on helping someone in and out of bed.

An adjustable bed set up to feel like home, making rest and getting in and out easier.
An adjustable bed set up to feel like home, making rest and getting in and out easier.

Getting moving again

Walking aids after a stroke should match current ability and leave room to progress. A rollator with wheels, brakes and a seat suits people building up distance and needing to rest, while a framed walker can suit early, indoor use. Where energy and distance are the challenge, a scooter can help someone stay independent and get out. Our guides to walkers and rollators and mobility scooters can help you weigh it up.

We work with your rehab team

Recovery after a stroke is a team effort, and we fit around it. If you have an occupational therapist or physiotherapist, we work alongside them on the right equipment and the fit, and we can provide compliant quotes for the NDIS, Support at Home or DVA. See our funding guide. We also offer a free assessment and a personalised suitability test, and because what suits can change, you are welcome to try things at home first with no pressure.

Visit us: Unit 2/136 Keys Road, Cheltenham VIC 3192. Call 1300 225 203. Free in-home demonstrations across bayside Melbourne, the south-east and the Mornington Peninsula.

Common questions

What is the best chair after a stroke?

Often a lift recliner chair, because it helps with the hard job of standing up and supports comfortable, well-positioned rest. If someone sits for long periods, look for pressure care and tilt-in-space, and if fit is difficult, a made-to-measure chair. We will help you choose and let you try it first.

Can mobility equipment be funded after a stroke?

It can. Depending on age and situation, equipment may be funded through the NDIS, the Support at Home AT-HM scheme or DVA, usually with an occupational therapist assessment. See our funding guide, and we can provide compliant quotes.

How do I help someone in and out of bed after a stroke?

An adjustable bed makes this easier and safer by raising the head and knees, and good technique helps too. Our how-to guide on helping someone in and out of bed has practical steps, and we are happy to advise on the right bed.

Should we buy equipment straight away or wait?

Because ability often changes through recovery, it is worth choosing equipment that suits now but can adjust, and trying before buying. That is exactly why we offer free in-home demonstrations and work with your rehab team.

Mobility Co provides general information only and is not a substitute for medical or rehabilitation advice. Please work with your stroke, occupational therapy or physiotherapy team on your recovery.

What our customers say

Visit our Cheltenham showroom

The best way to choose is to come and try. Sit in the chairs, lie back on the beds, and let us help you find what actually fits. Walk-ins are always welcome, and for the larger items like lift chairs, adjustable beds and mobility scooters we do suggest booking a time so we can give you our full attention. Prefer to stay home? We also do free in-home demonstrations, and the kettle is always on.

Mobility Co
Unit 2/136 Keys Road
Cheltenham VIC 3192

Opening hours
Monday to Friday: 9:00am to 5:00pm
Saturday: by appointment
Walk-ins welcome, appointments encouraged for larger items

Call us: 1300 225 203

Related reading: How to reduce falls at home and our Bayside home safety guide.

About the author

Daylan Kempster, Assistive Technology Specialist and Director of Mobility Co

Daylan Kempster is an assistive technology specialist and the director of Mobility Co, a family owned mobility equipment showroom in Cheltenham, Melbourne. He has close to ten years of experience in the assistive technology and healthcare sector, gained across several companies, working with older Australians managing the changes of ageing, younger people living with disability, and people who need the right equipment for a short time while they recover from surgery. He writes these guides from hands on experience helping families choose beds, chairs, scooters and walkers that suit a real home. Connect with Daylan on LinkedIn.