If an elderly member of your family is going in for joint replacement surgery — like hip or knee replacement — they may have weeks or months of recovery. They may need help with daily tasks, like laundry or grocery shopping, and they may need to commit to physical therapy exercises. While you can certainly help your loved one during this time, there may be times when you are unavailable. One way to help your loved one after surgery is by using a home healthcare service.
What Do Home Healthcare Services Offer?
Instead of working in a hospital setting, nurses that work for home healthcare services work in private settings. While each company is different, these services can have professionals help your loved one with
- Personal hygiene and care
- Medications/dressing changes
- Nutrition and meal prep
- Transportation
- Daily chores, like laundry, cleaning, etc.
- Physical therapy
Home healthcare professionals act as advocates for each individual and can help caregivers keep track of appointments and notify caregivers of any potential problems during recovery.
Physical therapy is especially important after joint replacement surgery. While your loved one needs to rest, it's also vital that they move the new joint and develop strength. An at-home caregiver can help your loved one stretch and monitor them during short exercises, like walking around the block with crutches.
Lastly, an at-home caregiver can also help you make any changes to the house beforehand to help your loved one feel more comfortable. For example, if your loved one has a bedroom upstairs, then a home healthcare provider can help you set up a bed downstairs temporarily until your loved one has fully healed from joint replacement and can use the stairs again.
Who Is a Good Candidate for At-Home Care?
If your loved one is much older or has previous health conditions, then a nursing facility may be a better fit than at-home care after joint replacement. At-home care is ideal for people who are still in relatively good health and who have a social support system in place. One study found that those with at-home care at the same level of functional improvement as those who were at a nursing facility. To avoid complications and the possibility of hospital readmission, your doctor can help you weigh the pros and cons of at-home care.
Reach out to a home healthcare provider like Vision Home Health Extended LLC in your area for more details.
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