Guides › ICU at home: the complete setup guide
ICU at home: the complete setup guide
Who can safely be cared for at home, how to set up the room, oxygen, monitoring and power backup, the people you need, red flags, and how we plan and quote a home ICU.
1ICU bed and what makes it an ICU
An "ICU at home" is not just an ICU bed. It is the bed plus the right machines, a trained nurse round the clock, a doctor who reviews the patient, and a plan for emergencies.
Electric multi-function bed with rails and an air mattress.
Monitor, oxygen, BiPAP or ventilator, suction, syringe or infusion pump, as the patient needs.
ICU-trained nurses on 12-hour shifts, doctor visits or tele-review.
Power backup, spare oxygen, and a hospital you can reach fast.
2Is home ICU right for this patient?
The patient is stable, the doctor has written a plan, a trained person is present 24 hours, and a hospital is close enough to reach quickly.
The patient is unstable, needs frequent procedures, or the family has no trained help and no quick way to reach a hospital.
- What are the target oxygen levels? Write the number on a card beside the bed.
- Which numbers should we call you about? BP, pulse, oxygen, sugar, temperature limits.
- What treatments are needed at home? Medicines, feeds, suction, dressings, physio.
- Which hospital do we go to? And how will we get there?
3How we plan and quote
- Doctor assessment Our doctor reviews the discharge summary and the patient before anything is set up.
- Written care plan Which machines, which nurse skills, which numbers to call about.
- Itemised quote Equipment, nursing shifts and doctor visits listed line by line, in writing, before you agree.
- Set up and trial Everything is installed and tested before the patient comes home.
Every home ICU is different, so we do not publish one price. Call or WhatsApp us for a written quote for your patient.
4The room
- One room, easy to reach Ground floor or lift access, so a stretcher can reach the bed.
- Three free sides Bed away from the wall so the nurse can reach the patient.
- Six or more sockets Concentrators, monitor, air mattress, suction, nebulizer. Boards with separate switches, no overloaded extensions.
- Clean and clear Dry floor, no loose wires, a small table for gloves, sanitiser and medicines.
- Oxygen safety No flames, smoking or gas stove nearby.
5Equipment checklist
| Need | Equipment |
|---|---|
| Breathing | Oxygen concentrator(s) + backup cylinder; BiPAP or ventilator if prescribed |
| Monitoring | Pulse oximeter, BP machine; bedside monitor for sicker patients |
| Bed and skin | 3- or 5-function bed, air mattress |
| Airway | Suction machine, nebulizer |
| Drips and medicines | Syringe or infusion pump, IV stand |
| Clots | DVT pump if prescribed |
6Power backup
- Add up the watts A 5 L concentrator is about 350 W. Add the monitor, air mattress and suction.
- Size the inverter For your total watts and the hours you need, not just fans and lights.
- Keep the cylinder ready If power and inverter both fail, the cylinder keeps the patient safe.
- Test it once Switch off the mains while the nurse is there and see what happens.
7People and routine
Equipment does not care for a patient. People do. You need a trained nurse who knows the plan, a relief for off days, fixed doctor visits and a daily chart: vitals at set times, turning every 2 hours, medicines and feeds on schedule.
8Red flags
- Oxygen stays below the doctor’s target on the prescribed flow
- Breathing fast or difficult, lips blue
- Unusually drowsy, confused or cannot be woken
- Chest pain, fits, heavy bleeding, sudden change in pulse
- High fever that does not settle, or a spreading pressure sore
Keep an emergency card at the bedside: doctor’s number, hospital, ambulance number, your address and landmark, and the oxygen supplier.
Questions families ask
How fast can a home ICU be set up?
Usually within a day once the doctor’s plan and the quote are confirmed.
Do you provide the doctor?
The treating doctor stays in charge. We arrange the nurse and equipment and keep the doctor updated.
Written for families by the MedStay team. Follow your own doctor’s prescription.