Senior Knee or Hip Replacement Post-Surgery Home Health Care Tips

Edmonton Senior Home Care  |  July 14, 2018

What Every Senior in Edmonton Needs to Know About Knee or Hip Replacement After-Care

Senior Knee or Hip Replacement | Fortunately, medical advancements have made knee and hip replacements for seniors commonplace, and often, family or close friends offer assistance to their loved ones in their in-home recovery. The patient can quickly get back to independent living with the right help. 

Senior Knee or Hip Replacement Home Health Care Tips:

First Floor Recovery: In advance of surgery, create a first-floor recovery room so stairs won’t be necessary. Acquire a bed that is adjustable or already at the proper height for the patient. Cover with fresh linens and pillows. Keep crutches or walker in easy access from the bed. Arrange toiletries or personal necessities next to the bed. If the bathroom isn’t easily available, rent a portable commode for the first few recovery days.

Prescription Medications after Surgery: Drugs will be prescribed after surgery, and they must be taken exactly as detailed. Arrange a conversation with the surgeon before surgery so you know how to schedule doses.

Wound Care: After the knee or hip surgery, vigilant wound care will be necessary. Look for increased swelling or inflammation and call their doctor if the wound doesn’t seem right. Keep the bandages and other supplies handy for you or your elderly adult to regularly change the dressings.

Household Tasks: Help the patient by doing as many household chores as possible. Let them focus on needed rest and recovery. Remember that small things do help. Bringing the mail in daily, doing a load of laundry, or straightening up their room are all helpful things, and running errands and doing the grocery shopping may be necessary, too, so you can cook healthy nourishing meals.

Follow-Up Medical Appointments: Post-surgery medical appointments mustn’t be missed. These appointments will be crucial to recovery, so you may have to make some adjustments to your own schedule in order to help transport your loved one.

Rehab and Exercises Post-surgery: Typically, hip or knee replacement surgeries have a prescribed rehab plan with numerous daily exercises, sometimes to be initiated the day following surgery. Older people sometimes resist these exercises, because of pain or fatigue. You can be their best source of encouragement by creating an exercise schedule and helping them to complete it. 

All surgeries have recovery time, but hip and knee surgeries may need more than you can feasibly provide for your loved one. Rather than feeling stressed, just call for in-home health care to help you and your loved one during recovery.

Comfort Keepers® in Edmonton Can Help with In-Home Elderly Care!

If you are concerned about the health and well-being of your aging loved ones we can help. Comfort Keepers®’ trained caregivers help provide senior clients with the highest quality of life possible to keep them happy and healthy at home. 

Companionship and Interactive Caregiving™

Our Interactive Caregiving™ provides a system of care that addresses safety, nutrition, mind, body, and activities of daily living (ADLs).

Moreover, our trained caregivers are selected with one specific quality in mind: empathy. Empathetic care is care that starts in the heart, and it allows us to meet our client’s exact needs. 

Learn more about our unique service offering by contacting the Comfort Keepers Edmonton office. If you live in Devon, Edmonton, Sherwood Park, or Stony Plain and surrounding areas, contact Comfort Keepers at 780-465-4665.

Comfort Keepers® Edmonton is an Approved Service Provider for the Client Directed Homecare Invoicing Program Offered by Alberta Health Services. Is Invoicing the Right Option for You?  Read more about the program HERE.

Comfort Keepers Edmonton is here to help you and your loved ones get the best care possible. Awarded the “Accredited with Exemplary Standing” seal by Accreditation Canada. Our Edmonton location has achieved the highest available certification in Canada for Home Care services, clearly demonstrating Comfort Keepers’ commitment to offering safe, high-quality home care to its senior clients in Edmonton.

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