Undergoing joint replacement surgery can significantly increase your quality of life, allowing you to go to work, exercise, get around your home safely, and enjoy your hobbies and activities once again. However, the joint replacement recovery process requires dedication and commitment to accelerate healing, avoid complications, and restore flexibility and mobility.
At Placita In Home Care, we have a team of experts who offer in-home joint replacement care services in Tucson, AZ, and the Phoenix metro area. We will coordinate care with your medical team and family and create a personalized post-surgery care plan that helps you stay safe and stick to your rehabilitative therapy as you recover. Here is a look at how we can help you with post-surgery recovery after joint replacement surgery.
Recover in Your Own Home
All patients who undergo joint replacement surgery require some level of post-surgery care and rehabilitation. You can’t stay in the hospital for long, so your choices are to enter an assisted living facility for joint replacement care and receive assistance until you are back on your feet, or recover in the comfort of your own home.
If you want to recover at home, your surgeon and medical care team will advise you that you need someone to stay in your home with you for the first 24-48 hours after surgery. From that point on, you will need the assistance of friends, family, or an experienced caregiver to provide support and help you avoid accidents.
In-Home Assistance
At Placita In Home Care, our team of compassionate, knowledgeable caregivers offer in-home assistance for patients recovering from joint replacement surgery. We will coordinate your care with your medical team and family members, and set up a schedule for services that work for you.
You will be under certain restrictions from your medical team and may need to avoid specific movements and activities as you recover. We can help you handle everyday activities and tasks around your home, such as bathing, dressing, grooming, meal preparation, and light housework. We will also ensure you take your medication according to schedule and do not suffer any accidents or injuries due to grogginess or other medication side effects.
Mobility Assistance
Your medical care team will advise you to get up and moving as soon as possible after surgery. Remaining mobile will accelerate the healing process and reduce your risk of complications. By the time you go home, you will be able to get in and out of bed yourself, but you may need assistance getting around. Your caregiver will help you navigate your home using a mobility aid like a walker or crutches. They will also help you go up and down stairs and handle other tricky areas of your home. Our assistance will reduce your risk of a fall or injury.
Maintaining Safety During Rehabilitative Exercises
You will be given instructions for rehabilitative exercises you should do at home in between your physical or occupational therapy appointments. These exercises are designed to relieve pain and inflammation, promote mobility, increase flexibility and range of motion, build up core strength, and help you get back to your regular life. Our caregivers can offer support and encouragement as you do these stretches and exercises, and make sure you don’t suffer from an injury.
Transportation to Medical Appointments
Our in-home caregivers have undergone rigorous screening and background checks and have a valid driver’s license, clean driving record, and auto insurance. They can provide safe, comfortable transportation to and from medical appointments and therapy appointments. If your family cannot provide transportation, we ensure you attend every appointment on time.
Ensuring a Safe Home Environment
As you recover, it’s important to make sure your home is safe, brightly lit, and free of dangerous obstacles. Our team can conduct a home safety evaluation prior to your surgery. We will have an expert walk through your home and identify potential risks. We will then provide you with a detailed report that outlines adjustments and modifications you can make that will make your home safer as you recover. This might include suggestions like temporarily removing throw rugs, installing brighter light bulbs, installing smart home devices, moving furniture up against the wall, and installing grab bars in the bathroom and shower.
Companionship and Socialization
Recovering from a major surgery can be stressful and overwhelming. It’s easy to become frustrated and depressed, especially if you feel isolated from friends and family. Our caregivers can provide emotional support, encouragement, companionship, and socialization. You are more likely to recover quickly and avoid complications when you have a support system in place.
Managing Pain and Swelling
Our mobility assistance will ensure you get up and around your home safely. The more mobile you are as you recover, the more likely you are to be able to manage pain and swelling post-surgery. If you stay in bed or remain seated for the majority of the day, you can develop swelling, inflammation, and edema that will lengthen your overall recovery time and may increase your risk of complications like blood clots.
We will also keep an eye on your recovery process and watch out for early warning signs of complications. We are trained in recognizing symptoms that indicate infection and blood clots and can ensure you get the medical attention you need as soon as possible.
Providing Medication Reminders
Our caregivers can provide you with medication reminders that ensure you don’t miss a dose or double dose on your medication. When you’re recovering from surgery and you’re groggy and in pain, it can be very easy to accidentally take too much medication. Side effects from medication may also increase your risk of an accident or injury, so it helps to have a professional with you to protect your health and safety.
Reduced Risk of Complications
One of the biggest benefits of getting and staying mobile post-joint replacement surgery is that you can reduce your risk of complications. The sooner you get up on your feet, the less likely you are to experience swelling, edema, chronic pain, stiffness, blood clots, and stroke. Our caregivers are carefully trained in assisting with safe mobility post-surgery.
We will help you get around your home safely and assist you with activities of daily living, like dressing, grooming, and meal preparation. Having someone keep an eye on you as you regain mobility can also reduce your risk of a fall or injury. We will also help you stick to your medication schedule and follow your medical care team’s instructions for recovering at home after your surgery.
Schedule a Consultation to Discuss Joint Replacement Care
If you’re preparing to undergo joint replacement care, it’s important to have a post-surgery recovery plan in place before you have surgery. At Placita In Home Care, we can design a highly individualized post-surgery care plan that will keep you safe and comfortable in your own home as you recover.
We will work closely with you, your medical care team, and your family to make sure you’re getting the support you need to recover fully and safely without complication or injury. Call us today or contact us online to schedule a consultation to discuss joint replacement care or get answers to your questions.