Knee replacement surgery is fairly common for the elderly. It is an elective surgery that replaces parts of the knee joint that are worn or damaged. Damaged bone and cartilage are replaced with metal and plastic parts that’ll help your loved one use her knee again with a significant reduction in pain and discomfort. It is often the best solution for those who have extreme arthritic pain in their knee and struggle with using the stairs or walking long distances. This surgery can help your loved one gain back a lot of her independence. Whether your elderly loved one returns home on the same day as the surgery or if she spends a night or two in the hospital afterward, you’ll want some assistance for her hospital to home transition needs.
Planning for Recovery
Since knee replacement surgery is elective, that means you and your loved one can plan for it. Knowing when the surgery will occur and when your loved one will return home can let you take steps beforehand to ensure that her hospital to home transition is smooth and that she’ll have everything she needs to stay safe and in good health, as she recovers from the surgery.
Preparing the Home
Your loved one may want to stay with you for those first few weeks as she heals, or circumstances might dictate that she has to recover in her home. If she’s in her own home, she’ll need someone there for 24 hours a day as she slowly regains function in her knee. She will not be advised to use stairs, and bathing may be very difficult on her own.
Having a 24-hour home care team for her hospital to home transition can help make sure she stays safe at home if you are not able to be there.
Prepare her recovery area. Since stairs will be difficult, make sure everything she needs is on one floor. That may mean moving her bed into a living area near the bathroom and kitchen. If you need to move where she sleeps, remember to also move items that she’ll need from the bedroom to that area as well such as her nightstand, blankets, and pillows.
Help her manage her pain medications. Create a pain medication schedule for your loved one and stick to it, even if it means waking up in the middle of the night to take the next dose. It’s easier to keep pain at bay than to find relief for it once it gets started.
Prepare the bathroom. You might consider adding safety bars or a handrail in the shower as well as alongside the toilet. A shower chair can be another great resource for those recovering from surgery. If your loved one needs physical help with showering during this transition time, a care provider trained in hospital to home transition can assist her with personal care needs.
Pick up all clutter or any tripping hazards. Make sure walkways are clear and hazard-free for your loved one.
Plan for pet care. If your loved one has a dog or cat, she might not be able to provide care like cleaning out a litter box or taking the dog for a walk. Find someone to help with these tasks so she can still get plenty of snuggles in while she recovers.
If you or an aging loved one are considering Hospital to Home Transition Services in Ephrata, PA, please contact the caring staff at Extended Family Care Lancaster today. Call (717) 391-6363
Extended Family Care Lancaster is a Trusted Home Care Agency in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, including Columbia, Elizabethtown, Ephrata, Hershey, Lebanon, Lititz, Manheim, New Holland, and Paradise.
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