There is a certain comfort that comes with recovering from a procedure in the hospital or an in-patient facility. You know that you have trained medical staff that can assist in any way and monitor your recovery to ensure everything stays on track. However, for the vast majority of people, they are forced to do the lion’s share of their rehabilitation at home, and making the transition from recovery ward to your own home isn’t always easy. In today’s blog, we share some tips for making the transition home after a joint replacement procedure easier on yourself.
Successfully Transitioning Home After Joint Replacement Surgery
You’ll want to get individualized tips from your treating surgeon, but in general, the following advice is helpful for both hip and knee replacement patients who are working to transition home successfully after a replacement procedure.
- Prep Your House Beforehand – We understand that your old knee or hip may be making movement uncomfortable, and while you should eventually feel better once you’ve had time to recover from surgery, it’s going to be much easier to prepare your house for yourself before surgery than trying to do it after the operation. Before your operation, make sure the laundry is clean and put away, pick up any tripping hazards, prepare your bed or your couch with essentials like water bottles, books and phone chargers and try to make life easy on your future self. Do this in the days leading up to your surgery.
- Arrange Rides – You’re not going to be able to drive for a while, so it’s important that you have rides lined up. Obviously you’ll need one to your home upon discharge, but you’ll also want to have rides to future appointments or to help run errands. Talk with friends and family members to see if they might be available on certain days to help give you a lift if you need one. Again, planning this out ahead of time helps to cut down on stress and anxiety after the fact.
- Food Prep – You also want to make sure your cupboards and refrigerator are stocked up with healthy options so that you don’t have to head to the grocery store or rely on unhealthy fast food options. Prep some healthy, easy-to-reheat meals before your operation, and if anyone asks if there is anything they can do to help with your recovery, you can let them know that a healthy meal would be great! Friends and family are going to want to reach out and help, and while you don’t want to feel like a burden, those closest to you will feel better if they can help in some way, and letting them make a healthy meal is a simple and easy way to let them help you!
- Do Your Exercises – Thriving in a home-based rehab environment really comes down to sticking to your physical therapy and exercise routine. That’s easier in the hospital when a PT is helping you perform the activities, and it’s harder when nobody is there to hold you accountable. You need to hold yourself accountable. It may not always be enjoyable in the short term, but for your long term health and to make life easier as you continue to recover at home, you need to do your strength training exercises.
- Make A Pain Management Plan – Finally, it’s important to talk to your surgeon and your family about how you can best manage pain at home while you recover. Every patient handles pain differently, but a good surgeon will explain how you can control and dull pain without becoming overly dependent on painkillers. It’s a delicate balance, but it’s important to understand the expectations and ensure everyone is on board to help keep a healthy grip on your pain during your home-based recovery.
For more tips on how to thrive at home during your recovery from hip or knee replacement surgery, or to talk to a surgeon about your joint discomfort, reach out to Dr. Botero’s office today.
