Helping Seniors Recover at Home After Surgery
Surgery is difficult at any age, but for seniors, the challenges are often much more substantial, and the recovery process is far longer. While recovering in the hospital under the watchful eye of healthcare providers is ideal, it’s not always possible and there’s no choice but to recover at home. In these cases, a family caregiver or hiring temporary senior home care are often the best options.
If you’re providing care for a senior loved one after surgery, it’s important to be prepared. In this article, we’ve gathered a list of things to do before your loved one is home from surgery so that you can give them the best possible care.
How to Plan to Care for a Senior After Surgery
Before your loved one’s surgery, it’s important to ensure you’re prepared to provide care for them at home. Here are several important steps you should take:
Talk to Their Healthcare Providers
Speak to their doctor, nurse, or other care providers before they go for surgery and discuss exactly what their recovery should entail. Ensure you have a medication list and any necessary prescriptions, as well as an emergency contact in case anything goes wrong.
Before you meet with their medical team, prepare a list of questions you should ask, including questions about:
- Activities they should or shouldn’t be doing
- Foods to avoid
- Medications they’ll require
- Incision care
- Signs they need immediate medical attention
Prepare Their Home for a Safe Recovery
After surgery, mobility can be an issue—especially for seniors. Ensure they can easily move throughout their home by taking away anything that could be a tripping hazard and move the things they need to access to a more accessible place.
Fill Their Fridge with Nutritious Meals
Once you’ve received dietary instructions from your loved one’s healthcare team, ensure they have plenty of food and fluids ready at home. It’s best to prepare meals ahead of time that can be frozen and microwaved when they’re hungry and able to eat.
Plan Easy Entertainment and Activities
While your loved one may want to sleep a little extra during their recovery, ensuring they have something to do during their waking hours can help them stay engaged and positive. Provide them with books or magazines, board games, or even a television set near their bed to help them stay mentally stimulated.
Consider Professional Support
In some cases, providing senior home care after surgery can become too burdensome for family members. When work, parenting, or other responsibilities are involved, it’s often best to hire a professional for at least part of the day. Professional home care agencies can offer help with personal care, wound care, meal preparation, light housekeeping duties, and companionship, ensuring that you and other family members can continue handling other responsibilities as your loved one recovers after surgery.
Professional Senior Home Care from Saint George Home Health
Offering senior home care for a loved one post-surgery can be taxing, but with the right preparations in place, you’ll be able to provide a more supportive environment for your loved one that fosters healing. Ensure they have a safe space to recover and food that follows their dietary restrictions, as well as medications and proper incision care before they make their way home from the hospital.
When caring for your loved one is too much, Saint George Home Health is here to help. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation with one of our qualified nurses and learn more about how we can help.
