What follows is a guest article by Julian Hills, staff writer for Drugwatch.com
"Caregivers
play an important role after hip replacement surgery.
They do not
replace the doctor or surgeon, but in many ways they pick up where those health
care professionals leave off. Caregivers become an important part of the
recovery process by filling in the gaps at home. The caretaker may have to
prepare the house to make it a comfortable place to recover for the patient,
help administer pain medication, watch out for complications and encourage
physical therapy progress.
There are a
lot of post-operation issues for a caretaker to keep track of. The prospect of
taking care of someone after hip replacement
surgery may be an overwhelming task, but caregivers can make the process
easier on the patients and themselves if they take certain steps.
Prepare for a Comfortable Recovery
When a patient
arrives home after surgery they should have easy access to everything they use
on a daily basis, including books, food, medication and the TV remote.
Caregivers should make sure those items are in a centralized location that
requires little effort for the patient to reach.
Safety
is important for a recovering patient. Caregivers should make sure that rugs
are taken off the floor to reduce the risk of falling or dislocating the new
joint. Furniture should be moved around so the patient can have ample room to
maneuver.
Patients
with a new hip have to avoid bending too far or too much and dislocating the
hip. There will be other parts of daily life where the patient will need
someone to step in and help them, including driving and setting up the bathroom.
· Driving: The
caregiver may be the designated driver for at least six weeks. Surgeons do not
recommend that a person recovering from a hip replacement get behind the wheel
for at least that long.
· Getting Dressed: Healing patients will need help getting dressed as well. Occupational
therapists can provide tools like shoe horns that can aid in the dressing
process.
· Bathroom Activities: There will definitely have to be arrangements made in the bathroom,
including a raised toilet seat. Activities like baths and showers will be off
limits for a few weeks. Caregivers may have to help with sponge bath duties.
Keep an Eye Out for Post-Surgery Complications
Caregivers
must be aware about possible complications that can arise. Hip replacements
have a good track record for success, and the risk of complications following
surgery is relatively low.
Joint
infection occurs in less than 2 percent of people who have the surgery. It’s
important for people recovering from hip replacement to take antibiotics if they
schedule a dental appointment shortly after surgery.
Blood clots
are more common complications and can be deadly if they spread to the brain,
heart or lungs. Caregivers need to be aware of the signs of blood clots. Some
of the symptoms include:
· Swelling that does not decrease
· Skin that is warm to the touch
· Shortness of breath
· Chest pain
· Enlargement of veins near skin
surface
The surgeon
may prescribe a blood thinner to prevent blood clots.
Some hip implants have been shown to cause injury and complications. Information about the ones to avoid can be found on our website: http://www.drugwatch.com
Caretakers should know what to watch for and be aware that defective implants are a possibility.
Understand the Importance of Physical
Therapy
Physical
therapy begins just days after surgery and intensifies as time goes on. The
purpose of therapy is to strengthen
the patient’s hip joint and regain movement.
Therapy can
last for months. The physical therapist will create a workout routine for the
patient. As time goes on and the patient begins to regain range of motion, activities
will elevate from simple walking and graduate to normal household activities.
The recovery process can become painful and sometimes hard on the patient.
Caregivers can
play an important role as cheerleader.
After time
passes, people with hip replacements can participate in activities such as
walking, swimming, dancing and golf. Those activities are great stress
relievers that people can participate in with partners. Having activities the
patient and caretaker can do together can lighten up the healing process and provide
both people some much-needed fun.
Caretakers Need to Take Care of
Themselves
Caretakers
not only have to make sure the patient is OK, but they have to take care of
themselves.
There is a
lot to do when caring for someone recovering from hip replacement surgery. It
can become stressful and overwhelming. It is important for the caretaker to
have some time off.
One thing to
keep in mind is having a social network of family members, friends or church
members who may be able to step in and give a ride or help with chores to take
some of the responsibility off the caretaker’s shoulders.
Being
prepared and knowing what to expect will alleviate some of the stresses
involved in the caretaking process."
Julian Hills, staff writer for Drugwatch.com
