If your elderly loved one has had major hip surgery, then they may be unable to care for themselves independently at home. Because of this, consider hiring a home care professional who can assist the individual with their activities of daily living and other things to help them recover. Here are some interventions a home care professional can provide to people recovering from hip surgery.
Physical Therapy
Many home care professionals are trained in both physical and occupational therapy. While your loved one will probably go to an outpatient therapy center to continue their physical therapy later on in their healing process, they may be unable to venture out when they first come home from the hospital.
Because physical therapy is essential to promote healing and mobility, the physician may recommend that it starts at home, almost as soon as the patient returns from the hospital. The patient may not be able to do strenuous exercises like climbing stairs in the first few days following their hip surgery, however, the home care professional can teach them to do some easy exercises in bed.
Medication Monitoring
While some home care workers can administer medication to their patients, some cannot. Home health nurses can administer both oral medications and injections, however, those home health workers who are not licensed may not. They can, however, remind the patient to take their medication and monitor the effects of the medications.
If your senior loved one experiences side effects from a medication or if they do not get relief from pain from an analgesic medication, the home care professional can relay these observations to the physician. The home healthcare personnel can also read medication labels to the patient who may be unable to read the labels because they may still be groggy from the surgery or because of poor eyesight.
Activities Of Daily Living
Because your loved one may have mobility problems when they return home from the hospital after hip surgery, they may be unable to perform their activities of daily living. Also called ADLs, activities of daily living include dressing, eating, bathing, and grooming.
The home care services professional can assist the patient with their ADLs and as the patient gets stronger, they may be able to be more independent when performing them. The healthcare professional will offer "stand by" assistance until your loved one feels confident enough to stand up and walk independently.
If your senior loved one is anticipating hip surgery or if they already had surgery and are unable to care for themselves, contact a home healthcare agency to learn more about their services. The agency's representative will answer your questions as they pertain to cost, payment options, services offered, and staff availability.
Share29 August 2022
In the past, when I thought about home health care, I pictured an elderly man or woman stuck in bed just waiting to take his or her final breath. What I have recently learned is that there are people of all ages that can benefit from home health care specialists. When my niece was diagnosed with a rare liver disorder, our family rallied and did everything possible to make the new way of life as easy for my sister as possible. We spent hours over at her house helping with the baby, but then, my sister said she didn't need us as much --She had hired a home care aid. I hope this helps you in the future.
