Recovering from hip replacement surgery at your home requires all the help you can get to speed up your recovery time. If you or someone you know is living alone, you may need to employ a professional to provide short-term care.
Short-term care after hip replacement surgery involves temporary nursing and non-medical support services. The care provider takes over household tasks like meal prep and light chores, facilitates the patient’s medication intake, and provides emotional support.
Read on and learn how you can get short-term care for post-surgical recovery.
What happens after a hip replacement surgery
After hip replacement surgery, you must stay in the hospital for one to two days. Then, depending on your orthopedic surgeon’s assessment and health history, you are expected to move using crutches and will most likely need assistance getting into the car when heading home.
If there’s no one to help you, you can hire a caregiver to help you with the transportation from the hospital to your home. In the next few days, you might feel discomfort when walking. Plus, your legs may become swollen. Your care provider might add a cold compress to reduce the swelling and improve blood flow. To ease the hip pain, take your prescriptions.
Do I need someone with me after hip replacement surgery?
To recover fast and be more comfortable after the hip replacement procedure, you should have someone living with you for the first 3 to 4 days. Then, when you’re discharged from the hospital, ensure there’s someone in your home to help and provide continuous care, especially in the next 24 to 48 hours. If you’re living independently, you can hire a short-term caregiver.
Short-term care is highly recommended for patients who have undergone major surgery, treatment for an illness, or are recovering from injuries. Primarily, these are given to people with limited mobility or under a strict rehabilitation period or program. It could last from days to months.
When you hire a short-term care provider, you’ll have someone to monitor and assist you in taking your medications, doing your household chores, helping you with your routine, and even your physical therapy exercises.
These services include medical and non-medical care. Thus, at Trusted Touch Healthcare, we have professional caregivers with the right expertise, training, and qualifications.
Who is short-term care best for?
You should arrange a short-term after undergoing a hip replacement procedure if you’re living alone or if you have no one in your home to help you out.
Likewise, you need someone reliable to assist you with your medications and monitor your vitals, such as your blood pressure or the presence of chronic pain. Also, as you reach full recovery, you won’t risk any relapse or dislocating your artificial hip when you have a professional helping you stand up, walk, or do light exercises.
Benefits of short-term care after hip replacement surgery
Employing a short-term care provider to stay with you after your hip replacement surgery has many benefits – both for your recovery and those concerned about your health. Unlike health care providers, professionals offering short-term home care have more flexibility regarding their services. Check out the following advantages you get from this setup.
Around-the-Clock Care
Short-term caregivers don’t simply show up at certain hours. Instead, a live in caregiver can stay with you 24/7 depending on your contract of agreement and, by extension, your budget. As a result, you get consistent medical and non-medical care any time of the day.
This setup is particularly advantageous as you avoid not taking your medications on time, and you can rely on a professional for wound care and other medical tasks. Likewise, you’ll have someone the doctor or physical therapist can speak to if you live alone.
Less Stress and Anxiety
The recovery process from a hip replacement surgery, or any invasive medical procedure, does not only involve physical rehabilitation. In most cases, it also requires mental and psychological healing.
By hiring a short-term care provider, your anxiety and stress about dealing with everyday activities get less. On top of that, you won’t feel lonely, and you can focus more on your home-based rehabilitation as you free your mind from chores you need to do.
With the right hire, you can receive companionship and motivation through emotional support. Science-based evidence support that high-emotional being dictates the recovery speed and survival rates, as a whole.
Additional Help in Your Routine
After being discharged from the hospital, you can move a little using your crutches. However, this could still be a taxing task with your fresh artificial hip. In addition, it could still be painful and uncomfortable to lift yourself from the bed.
If this is the case, you can rely on a caregiver to do your daily routines, such as urinating, wiping, dressing up, and moving around the house. Additionally, they also do grocery shopping, meal preparation, light chores, and accompany you to appointments or religious services.
Bathing is often prohibited for about six weeks, so you may ask your caregiver to wipe or wash your feet. The same goes for sitting on the sofa or a recliner.
Emergency contact during recovery
Being on your own after having a hip replacement recovery wouldn’t be the best idea, even if you’re not that old. Aside from the benefit of having someone to help you with your medications and daily activities, a short-term caregiver can also become your physical therapist’s point person regarding your rehabilitation.
Moreover, in cases of emergency, you can always stay confident that someone will contact help without time being spared. If you are alone, it could be dangerous if you slip on the tub or have medical emergencies without someone to assist you.
Other things to prepare for your hip replacement recovery
Short-term care after hip replacement surgery provides you with the peace of mind needed for recovery. But you should also consider other pre-surgery preparations, specifically involving home setup, before your surgical procedures. Here are other things you can do to keep your post-surgery period more comfortable.
- Put a slip-proof mat in your bathroom.
- If possible, lower your bed or find an alternative that helps you get down easily.
- Remove possible obstructions on the floor, like cords and rugs.
- If you have pets, it’s best to have someone else take care of them. You can also place them in a pet hotel or something similar.
- Make sure you stay on the ground floor.
- Have a portable commode around if you’re recovery room is far from the bathroom.
- Add rails near your toilet seat or shower.
For more information about how to prepare your home for post-surgical recovery, consult with your doctor.
Hip surgery frequently asked questions
How long do I need someone to stay with me after the hip replacement?
You should book for short-term care after your hip replacement surgery for at least a week. On average, you can fully recover and function on your own six weeks after surgery. However, this could differ for others who need more time and help to recover. You can consult your doctor or physical therapist to request an extension if necessary.
How much care do you need after hip replacement?
The level of care a day after surgery is high and should be consistent. Hence, you’ll have to stay in the hospital. But within the first three days of returning to your home after the hip replacement surgery, you will need consistent help to perform light activities like walking or preparing meals. This could require 24/7 care, depending on how fast you’re recovering.
What do you need at home after surgery?
It’s essential to assign a recovery room in your home after surgery. Ideally, it should be on the first floor and near the bathroom. Have a low bed prepared, so you don’t need to exert effort getting your feet on the floor. Ask your care provider for assistance with your everyday needs, like food and hygiene routine.
Why choose the professionals at Trusted Touch Healthcare?
Hip replacement surgery is a common procedure that can provide relief from pain and improve mobility. After your surgery, it’s important to get the necessary care and support to help you recover quickly and smoothly.
Trusted Touch Healthcare provides experienced short term home health aides and private duty nursing who can assist you during your post-operative recovery period. Our team of qualified professionals will work with you and your family to ensure that you receive the best possible care during this time.
Contact us today in our Rockville, Maryland location or in Fairfax, Virginia for more information about our services or to schedule a free consultation. We look forward to helping you get back on your feet as soon as possible!
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