8 Hip Replacement Recovery Tips for Caregivers
Does recovering from hip replacement sound challenging? Yes, it can be a daunting task, taking the right steps and being prepared for surgery will make the recovery short and smoother. As a caregiver for hip replacement patients, the role is important and key to a quick, effective and safe recovery.
Caregiver Tips
Preparing the home before the surgery is an important step. Keep safety and comfort in mind. Some tips include:
- Move electrical cords out of common walkways
- Remove all throw rugs and loose carpeting until after the healing process is done
- Place common items like cell phones, laptops, t.v remotes and other items in easy-to-reach places
- Have wide paths around the house to have extra space for walking devices
- Place frequently used cooking and kitchen supplies in areas that don’t require too much bending
- Keep small pets in the eye’s sight to avoid tripping.
Prep Work for Surgery
As a caregiver, an important tip to remember is a good support system. Being mentally and emotionally prepared is important and being an aid to help the patient be mentally and emotionally prepared is important to a successful recovery. Being grounded throughout the recovery that can potentially take months will be a way to ensure it’s a speedy process. Decluttering hallways, rooms and preparing areas that don’t have stairs to reduce the risk of falls is where the road begins before the surgery.
Be Consistent with Rehab
Rehabilitation after all hip replacement surgeries always begins on day one and needs to be consistent throughout the duration of all phases of the recovery process to ensure a complete recovery of hip mobility and strength. As a caregiver, be the support and encouragement.
Proper Fuel and Diet for Recovery
Even in everyday life, balanced diets for good health is important. When it comes to recovery, a balanced diet is even more important. Proper, efficient healing means the body needs extra nutrients in order to be able to repair the ligament and soft tissue damage that’s part of hip surgeries. As a caregiver, assisting with food prep and cooking meals is a great recovery tool in the toolbox. Remember the body will go through changes after surgery. Be patient, appetites can be poor after surgery but remembering to keep the patient hydrated and eats as much as possible will allow the surgery to run as smoothly as possible.
Be Smart
Limitations from surgeries are something none of us want to have placed on us. Even if recovering from surgeries, injuries or being sick can throw curveballs in the daily routines. Remember that recovery is short-term and requires patience. If caregivers and patients are smart and think, recovery is a temporary setback. Help provide recovery friendly activities instead of going back into the normal routines and favorite activities.
Incision Care
It is important, as a caregiver, to talk to the health care team to learn about how to properly care for the wound. Keeping all incisions covered and dry with a light dressing until the stitches or staples are removed, is an important task and the stitches or staples are generally removed 10 to 14 days after surgery. Shower routines can pick up again seven days after surgery unless the surgery team states otherwise. Re-applying a dry dressing after showering is important. Remember to look for increased drainage, redness, pain, odor, or heat around the incision and notify the medical team as soon as possible.
Controlling Discomfort
Pain management and providing comfort is important, remember to give pain medications roughly 30 minutes before physical therapy sessions. To avoid addiction or other health concerns, remember to gradually wean the patient off of prescription medication and switch to over-the-counter. Changing positions throughout the day is helpful for pain management. Heat or cold treatments is a great addition to the routine for short-term relief from pain and stiffness.
Dr. Karkare is a trusted hip replacement surgeon in Long Island in NYC who has performed more 1,500 hip replacement surgeries to patients all around the United States and Canada.
