Age-related spinal conditions are common in older adults, and sometimes, surgery is the best way to ease pain and maintain mobility. The last thing you want is for a spinal health issue to cause a serious fall that makes it hard for your dad to get out of bed. Whether your dad has vertebral compression fractures, lumbar spinal stenosis, degenerative cervical myelopathy, or one of several other conditions, it’s important to follow his surgeon’s instructions before and after surgery. This means arranging post-hospital care nurses for his recovery.
These are the post-hospital care services your dad will benefit from after spinal surgery.
Wound and Incision Care
Post-Hospital Care South Hills PA – Help Your Dad Get the Care and Support He Needs After Spinal SurgeryThe incision needs to be kept clean and dry for a week. Your dad will be told that showering is okay, but baths and swimming are not. He needs to apply a clean bandage anytime his bandages get wet or start to come loose. The location of this bandage can be hard to manage on his own. He needs someone who specializes in wound and incision care.
His nurse can clean the incision and reapply bandages as needed and check for infection. After a week, he might not need to put on a bandage over the incision anymore. But, if his stitches catch on clothing, he may want to keep the area protected.
If your dad does find his incision becoming infected, his nurse can consult with the surgeon on the next steps. Often, IV antibiotics can be arranged without your dad returning to the hospital.
Physical Therapy
Your dad’s mobility is going to be limited as he heals. It’s imperative that he works with a physical therapist to gain a full range of motion without overstraining his healing spine.
A physical therapist helps him improve his balance, endurance, and flexibility through exercises your dad works on with his physical therapist. He’ll also need to do those exercises at home, so he needs encouragement and reminders to keep doing them.
Medication Administration
For the first part of his recovery, your dad’s surgeon may prescribe prescription pain medications. Hire post-hospital care nurses to administer those medications at the correct intervals. It’s the safest way to make sure your dad’s pain is well-managed without the risk of him taking too many pills each day.
Health Assessments by Post-Hospital Care Aides
In the first week or so, there is a risk of infection setting in at the incision site. Make sure your dad’s nurses are checking his temperature, blood pressure, and pulse. His nurses should check his cognitive skills to ensure he’s not dealing with temporary memory issues caused by the pain medications he’s taking.
It can take several months for your dad to regain full mobility. Don’t rush him through his recovery. He needs to heal properly to prevent complications or additional damage.
Allow him to follow his surgeon’s and physical therapist’s recommendations and make sure post-hospital care is arranged for as much of his recovery as possible. Consider making sure someone else is free to handle non-medical tasks like housework, meals, and transportation, too.
If you or a loved one are considering Post-Hospital Care Services in South Hills PA, please call and talk to the caring staff at Extended Family Care of Pittsburgh at (412) 693-6009. We will answer all of your questions.
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