According to The Journal of Rheumatology, yearly hip replacement surgeries will reach almost 500,000 in 2020. By 2025, it’s expected to increase to more than 650,000. While hip replacement surgery is commonly performed, there are still things patients must do to ensure a successful recovery. Hiring Home Health Care is a good idea for the best recovery results of hip surgery aftercare.
You want her to restore full mobility as quickly as possible without risking another injury. After hip surgery, what are the five things your mom should and shouldn’t do?
You Should Rearrange Her Furniture
Before your mom arrives home, rearrange her furniture to ensure her chair and side table are conveniently placed. Your mom will be using a walker, so create open walkways to her living room chair, kitchen, bathroom, and bed.
Remove throw rugs and clutter that the wheels of her walker may catch on. If there are any electrical cords in the open, use tape to secure them to the baseboard. Add a shower chair in her shower.
She Shouldn’t Push Herself
Your mom needs to listen to her body. If she’s been walking around for ten minutes and feels tired, she needs to take a break. Short exercise sessions multiple times per day are better than long ones that tire her out and increase the risk of falling.
She Should Get Up
Your mom needs to start using her hip. The trick is not to put too much weight on it at first. Short walks around the house help lower the risk of blood clots and help strengthen her leg and hip muscles.
If she’s told to avoid putting her entire weight on her hip for the first week, she needs to listen to her surgeon. Ensure she uses her walker until she’s given the medical clearance to stop using it.
She Cannot Drive
If your mom is using prescription painkillers, she cannot drive. Make sure someone is lined up to escort her to her check-ups, pharmacy, or grocery store.
Until she’s off all pills that make her drowsy, keep her from accessing her keys. As tempted as she may be to drive to the pharmacy for her refill, it’s unsafe.
You Should Hire Home Health Care Nurses
Immediately after returning home, your mom needs to follow her surgeon’s instructions. She needs to keep up with physical therapy exercises. With home health care, she can have her physical therapist come to her home, making it easy for her to improve her balance and mobility.
A home health care nurse can check your mom’s incisions and make sure they’re healing properly. The nurse can also look for signs of blood clots and infections. If your mom needs IV fluids or antibiotics, the nurse can set up the IV line and administer the necessary medications.
If there are any signs of her incisions not healing correctly, the nurse can alert the doctor and change her care plan without your mom needing to be readmitted to the hospital. Call a home health care service to learn more about the available services.
If you or an aging loved-one is considering Home Health Care in Stoneham, MA, or the surrounding areas please contact the caring staff at Visiting Nurse & Community Care today. (781) 643-6090
Sources:
Increased Rate of Total Joint Replacements Predicted From 2020 to 2040