Your Parent Came Home from Hospital and Can't Walk or Get Up: Why It Happens and How to Start Rehabilitation at Home

When an older adult can't walk or get up after leaving hospital, a common cause is deconditioning from bed rest (but if walking has newly got worse at home, review medicines, restrictions and symptoms with the treating team, as it can also come from the original illness, medicines or an infection): the leg and trunk muscles weaken, balance gets worse and dizziness on changing position becomes common. It can happen after only a few days in hospital. The good news is that it often improves gradually if your parent starts moving safely from the first day home. First, though, you need to rule out a new illness, because sudden weakness on one side, a drooping face, slurred speech or new confusion needs a hospital straight away, not rehabilitation at home.

A familiar scene: Dad walks into hospital with a fever or chest infection, stays five or six days, is well enough to be discharged, and then at home cannot get out of bed. His legs shake when he stands and someone has to hold him under the arms to reach the bathroom. The family is shocked: he is better, so why can't he walk? This guide explains what has happened, which signs are dangerous, how to judge at home what level your parent is at, and what to do every day for the first two weeks.

Quick answer

• Long periods in bed weaken muscles, worsen balance and make dizziness on standing more likely; the longer your parent stays in bed, the harder it is to return to old routines
• One-sided weakness, a drooping face, slurred speech, sudden confusion, chest pain or severe breathlessness is not ordinary weakness: call 1669 or go to hospital at once
• Once the treating team allows it and there are no warning signs, start rehabilitation at home by getting your parent "out of bed" as much as possible: normal clothes, meals at the table, sitting up often and short walks with someone alongside
• Change position slowly, from lying to sitting, pause, then stand, to reduce dizziness
• Protein-rich food and enough fluids are the raw materials for muscle; if the doctor restricts fluids or diet, follow the doctor
• If your parent can't stand alone, has fallen since coming home, or is no better after about two weeks, ask a physical therapist to assess them at home

1. Why a few days in hospital leave your parent unable to get up

The short answer is that an older body "goes backwards" very quickly when it is not used. Many hospitals in the United Kingdom explain it plainly to families: long periods in bed lead to muscle weakness, and the longer someone stays in bed, the harder it becomes to get up and do what they normally do at home.

In hospital your parent may lie down most of the day because of fatigue, drips and monitoring leads, or fear of falls. Several things then happen at once.

• Muscles shrink and lose strength, especially the thighs and hips used for standing up
• Balance worsens, so your parent sways and has to hold on to something
• Dizziness on standing, because the body has not adjusted blood pressure to posture for days; some people feel light-headed or nearly faint
• Constipation, urinary problems and poor appetite, which add to the tiredness
• Low mood and temporarily poorer thinking and memory, particularly in people who already have dementia
• A higher risk of blood clots in the legs and of infection when they move very little

Other factors pile on: the body is still tired from the illness, some medicines cause drowsiness or dizziness, and people usually eat little while unwell. That is why leg weakness can be so obvious after coming home, even in a parent who walked to the market before falling ill.

If you are still preparing to bring your parent home, read the questions to ask the doctor and nurse before your parent leaves hospital; asking about walking and restrictions before discharge makes rehabilitation at home faster and safer.

2. Signs that are more than weakness and need hospital care now

Weakness from bed rest usually affects both sides fairly equally, improves little by little, and your parent can still talk and make sense as before. If the picture does not fit this pattern, don't assume it is "just weak legs", because it may be a new illness that needs urgent treatment.

Call 1669 immediately for any of these, which fall within the critical-emergency symptom groups:

• Weakness of the arm and leg on one side, a drooping face or mouth, slurred speech, or seizures
• Unconsciousness, inability to wake, or drowsiness with sweating and cold skin
• Rapid breathing, severe breathlessness or sudden chest pain

Contact a doctor or go to hospital promptly, without waiting for the next appointment, for any of these:

• Sudden confusion: not recognising family, talking nonsense, clearly different from yesterday (if they are also hard to wake or weak on one side, call 1669 at once); causes can include infection, medicines, abnormal blood sugar or a brain problem
• Fever or shivering together with weakness that is getting worse faster than before
• Swelling, aching pain or red or darkened skin in one leg, which may be a blood clot; if there is also breathlessness or chest pain, call 1669
• A fall with a blow to the head, hip pain so bad they can't bear weight, or drowsiness after a fall
• Weakness that gets worse every day despite efforts to keep moving

An easy rule: "weakness from bed rest slowly gets better". If something new appears suddenly, or things keep getting worse, always call a doctor first.

Decide in advance whom to call, what to say and which hospital to go to. See the step-by-step preparation in the emergency and 1669 plan for homes with older adults.

3. A 10-minute home check of your parent's level

First find out what your parent can already do alone, so activities are neither so hard that they fall nor so protective that the muscles never work. Do this check when your parent is alert, a while after a meal, with an adult standing beside them the whole time.

Go step by step, and stop at once if your parent feels faint, dizzy or very tired.

1. From lying on their back, can they roll onto their side and push up to sitting on their own?
2. Sitting on the edge of the bed with feet flat on the floor, can they sit upright without anyone holding them?
3. From a chair with armrests, can they stand up alone, or does someone have to pull them?
4. Once standing, can they stay still without swaying?
5. Can they take two or three steps with someone walking beside them?

Then match your parent to the closest level.

• Level 1: sits up alone, can stand and walk but slowly and unsteadily. There is enough strength; most need someone alongside when walking and a temporary walking aid. The family can start the routine in the next section right away
• Level 2: can stand with help. They can't get up alone and need support, but once up they can balance somewhat. This level carries the highest fall risk, because your parent wants to walk alone before the strength is there. A physical therapist should assess and teach the right way to support them
• Level 3: cannot stand, or cannot sit balanced alone. Training starts in bed and in sitting, and transfers need great care. A physical therapist should plan from the start, and the family may need ongoing help with care

Note the results with the date and repeat the check every two or three days. Seeing progress encourages both your parent and whoever is caring for them.

4. The first two weeks at home: what to do every day

The principle is to get your parent out of bed as much as is safe, and let them do as much as they can for themselves, even if it is slower than doing it for them. Many hospitals advise families that encouraging a parent to get up, get dressed and sit out of bed helps them stay independent, keep their muscle strength and recover from illness more quickly.

Move daily life out of bed

• Each morning change from nightclothes into ordinary home clothes, with shoes or sandals that have non-slip soles and a heel strap
• Have every meal sitting at a table or in a chair, not in bed
• During the day sit in a chair to watch TV or chat with the grandchildren instead of lying down all day
• Walk to the bathroom with someone alongside; if the distance is still too far, use a bedside commode only at night

Get up slowly in three stages

Dizziness on standing is common after bed rest. The UK's National Health Service (NHS) advises getting out of bed slowly, from lying to sitting and then from sitting to standing. At home that looks like this:

1. Before getting up, have your parent pump the ankles up and down and open and close the hands for a little while in bed
2. Roll onto one side and push up with the arms to sit on the edge of the bed; rest until any dizziness passes
3. With feet flat, lean forward and then stand up, with someone standing alongside
4. Stand still for a moment before walking; if dizzy, sit down straight away

Practise standing up from a chair several times a day

Sit-to-stand practice mirrors real life: getting up from the sofa, the toilet and the bed. Choose a stable chair with no wheels that won't slide, where your parent sits with feet flat on the floor. In the early days, when the legs are very weak, use a chair with armrests so they can push up, then reduce the use of the hands as leg strength returns.

• Sit forward towards the edge of the seat, feet about hip-width apart
• Lean the trunk slightly forward, "nose over knees", then stand up slowly using the legs
• Stand tall, then lower back down with control rather than dropping into the seat
• Start with just a few repetitions, as many as your parent can manage, spread over several rounds a day, for example before every meal, rather than all at once until exhausted

Move the joints every day, even on days they can't get up

On very tired days, still move the joints in bed or in a chair: ankle pumps, bending and straightening one knee at a time, raising the arms overhead and gentle shoulder circles. Frequent leg movement also helps blood flow in the legs.

Short, frequent walks with someone alongside

Start with walks around the room, to the bathroom and to the dining table, and increase the distance when your parent is not breathless or dizzy. The helper should stand slightly behind, on the weaker side, with one hand at the waist or on a gait belt and the other near the shoulder. Never pull on the arm or lift under the armpit: it risks injuring the shoulder, and if your parent collapses the helper cannot take the weight.

A sample day in the first two weeks

• Morning: get up in three stages, bathroom, change clothes, breakfast at the table
• Late morning: one round of sit-to-stand practice, a short walk indoors, then rest in a chair
• Midday: lunch at the table; a nap in bed that is not too long
• Afternoon: joint exercises in a chair, another walk, perhaps sitting out in front of the house
• Evening: another round of sit-to-stand before dinner, dinner with the family
• Before bed: a trip to the bathroom, a night light on the path from bed to bathroom, essentials within reach

5. Food and fluids are the raw materials for muscle

Muscles need both use and raw materials to recover. After illness older adults often eat little, so training tires them quickly and progress is slow.

• Include protein at every meal, such as fish, chicken, eggs, tofu, milk or beans, cooked soft and easy to chew
• Offer several small meals if a large one is too much, with protein-containing snacks in between
• Make sure they drink enough; dehydration makes dizziness and constipation more likely, so keep a glass of water within reach
• If your parent has heart or kidney disease, or the doctor has restricted fluids or protein or prescribed a special diet, follow the doctor or dietitian and don't add more yourself
• Watch swallowing; if your parent coughs or chokes while eating, tell the doctor

6. Temporary aids and a safer home for walking

Equipment at this stage is there so your parent can get up and walk safely, not to keep them sitting still. Many items are needed only briefly, so think about how long you will use them before buying.

• A walker suits the early stage, when balance is poor on both sides; later your parent may move to a cane. KIN HomeCare does not rent walkers; they are sold in medical-supply shops. How to choose and set the height is in our guide to canes and walkers
• A gait belt gives the helper a secure grip instead of pulling on an arm; ask a physical therapist to show you how to use it first
• A wheelchair is for longer distances, such as doctor's appointments; indoors, your parent should walk as much as they can rather than ride everywhere
• An adjustable bed makes sitting up easier; the right height is when your parent sits on the edge with feet flat on the floor and knees bent at a right angle, or about 40–50 centimetres
• A stable chair with armrests placed where your parent sits most often

For a wheelchair or adjustable bed needed only for a short period, renting is usually better value than buying. See models and prices on the equipment rental page. Both rental and purchase are available; for purchase prices please call 061-881-9399 (+66 61 881 9399).

A few changes at home also cut the chance of a fall considerably.

• Remove rugs, cables and clutter from the main route between bed, bathroom and dining table
• Fit a night light along the path from bed to bathroom
• Keep the phone, glasses and drinking water within reach of the bed
• If the bedroom is upstairs, consider moving downstairs for a while; read how to decide in two-storey house, parent can't manage the stairs: which option to choose

7. When to have a physical therapist assess your parent at home

If your parent is at level 2 or 3 from day one, arrange an assessment soon, because the early period carries a high fall risk and is when training is especially worthwhile. At level 1 the family can start on its own, but call in a professional if you see these signs:

• After about two weeks your parent still can't stand up alone or walk further than before
• Falls, or repeated near-falls
• The family is unsure how to support them, or the carer is starting to get back pain
• The doctor has set restrictions, such as no full weight on a leg, which training must follow
• Your parent refuses to get up for fear of falling, or has lost heart
• The home has stairs, a distant bathroom or uneven floors that need a specific plan

The physical therapist will teach the family to keep practising on days without a visit, so your parent moves every day, not only on appointment days.

Common mistakes families make

• Letting your parent rest fully first, "walking once they feel stronger": the longer they lie in bed, the weaker the muscles get; short rests alternating with frequent movement work better
• Doing everything for them, such as feeding, lifting them up or wheeling them to the bathroom every time; this stops them using their muscles, so let them try first and help only with what they can't manage
• Pulling on the arm or lifting under the armpit when supporting them; this risks shoulder injury for your parent and back pain for you, so hold the waist or a gait belt instead
• Letting them jump up at night: just after waking is when dizziness and falls are common, so always use the three-stage method and turn on the light first
• Letting them eat and drink little to avoid bathroom trips: this leads to dizziness, constipation and low energy; make the route to the bathroom easier instead of cutting fluids
• Dismissing new symptoms as tiredness: one-sided weakness, sudden confusion or one swollen leg needs a doctor, not more practice at home

When to bring in a professional team

If your parent can't stand alone, has fallen since coming home, or everyone works full time so nobody can keep them moving during the day, professional help in this period can make a real difference, because every day in the first few weeks counts. Recovery varies from person to person, depending on existing conditions, age and physical state before the illness.

• Home physiotherapy: a physical therapist assesses getting up, standing, walking and the home itself, sets a step-by-step programme, teaches the family to support safely and recommends suitable equipment. THB 1,800 per session; first session THB 1,500 until 31 December 2026; 10-session package THB 15,000. Details at home physiotherapy
• A caregiver (nursing assistant) during recovery: helps with walking and daily practice following the physical therapist's plan, bathroom trips, and food and medicines as prescribed. 12-hour shift THB 1,800 per day, minimum 3 days, or THB 12,000 per week. If your parent gets up often at night, a night shift (20:00–08:00) is available at the same rate. See elderly care at home
• Electric hospital bed rental: with mattress, from THB 4,500 per month, delivered, set up and demonstrated at home in Bangkok and surrounding provinces

Many families combine the two: a physical therapist plans periodically, and a caregiver or relative follows the plan daily.

Frequently asked questions

My parent can't walk after leaving hospital. Will they walk again?

Many older adults do get up and walk better with regular movement, but no one can say in advance how close to their old self they will get, because it depends on the illness, their condition before it and the practice after coming home. What the family can do is start moving safely from day one and ask a physical therapist to assess if there is no improvement.

How long does it take to recover from muscle weakness after a hospital stay?

There is no fixed number. Some people improve clearly within a few days; others need several weeks. Look at the trend: if your parent can do a little more each week, you are on the right track. If after about two weeks nothing has changed or things are worse, consult a doctor or have a physical therapist assess.

My elderly parent's legs are weak and they can't get up. Should they rest in bed first?

No, not all day. Short rests are fine, but alternate them with sitting up, sitting in a chair and short walks several times a day, because long bed rest is the main reason weakness continues. The exception is when the doctor has ordered bed rest for a specific reason.

My parent feels dizzy when standing up after coming home. What should we do?

Get up slowly in stages: from lying to sitting, rest until the dizziness passes, then stand. Move the ankles before getting up and make sure they drink enough. If dizziness is frequent, they faint, or they have just started a new medicine, tell the doctor, as it may be related to medication or blood pressure.

What kind of weakness in an older adult needs hospital care immediately?

Weakness on one side, a drooping face, slurred speech, unconsciousness, chest pain or severe breathlessness: call 1669 at once. Sudden confusion, fever with shivering, or one swollen painful leg should be seen by a doctor promptly without waiting for the next appointment.

Does KIN rent walkers?

No. Walkers are sold in medical-supply shops. KIN HomeCare rents wheelchairs and electric beds, and our physical therapists can advise which walking aid to buy.

Talk to the KIN HomeCare team

If your parent has just come home from hospital and can't get up or walk, and you are unsure where to start, call and tell us briefly. A short video on LINE of your parent getting out of bed or walking indoors helps the team advise more accurately.

• Home physiotherapy: 095-767-6307 (+66 95 767 6307), alternative 061-881-9399 (+66 61 881 9399)
• Caregivers during recovery and equipment rental: 061-881-9399 (+66 61 881 9399)
• LINE @KINHOMECARE
• Free consultation; the team helps you work out which service to start with; home services nationwide

This information is general guidance for families and does not replace advice from your parent's doctor.

Prepared by the KIN HomeCare team · Prices as of September 2026; please confirm with our staff before booking.