Hip surgery is a very common type of surgery, but as with any other major medical procedure, the recovery time will be very important for your aging loved one. If you are a family caregiver for a senior who has recently suffered a hip fracture, it is likely they will be undergoing hip surgery in the near future to repair the damage, stabilize the joint, and help your parent to maintain more mobility and functioning in the future. Knowing what to expect after their surgery is an important step toward preparing yourself, and ensuring they get the care and support they’ll need to heal properly and stay healthy moving forward.
Some things to expect after your senior’s hip surgery include:
- Depending on their health, physical condition, and how well they get through the surgery, your senior will likely need to spend a few days in the hospital following their surgery. The doctor will determine exactly how long this will be. During this time, it is important to closely monitor your senior to detect any signs of delirium, and also start preparing their home and their care network to provide support after they transition home
- The doctor will likely want to get your parent up and moving as quickly as possible after hip surgery. This helps the body to get used to the joint, and to promote mobility and flexibility. This means they will probably be encouraged to move around with a walker or crutches rather than relying completely on a wheelchair. Talk to their doctor about how much mobility is safe, when to know when your parent might be overdoing it, and how to safely encourage them and to increase their physical activity during recovery
- Your parent will have an incision following surgery. Talk to their doctor about how to properly care for this incision, signs of infection to look out for, and when you may need to return them to medical care if there are complications
- The doctor will have given them exercises to perform on a daily basis. Encourage your senior to follow through with these when and how they are supposed to, to start building the joint strength and flexibility they need
- Your parent will likely feel much better and have regained a large percentage of their functioning within a few months of surgery, but total recovery can take up to a year
- The effects of surgery aren’t necessarily just physical. Your parent may also experience depression, anxiety, fear, and other complications to their mental and emotional health and well-being
The benefits of senior care don’t just stop with your senior. Knowing your parent has access to this personalized, dedicated care can also make a huge difference to you as their family caregiver. You want what’s best for your senior, but with other obligations in your life, you can’t always be there with them. A senior home care services provider can step in to fill care gaps and offer meaningful services designed to help your parent cope with their challenges, maintain more independence, and seek out a lifestyle that is as fulfilling as possible as they age in place. This eases your stress, but also opens up your schedule, gives you more freedom and flexibility, and enables you to focus more on your personal relationship with your senior rather than just your care efforts. This can result in a higher quality of life for both of you.
https://myhealth.alberta.ca/Health/aftercareinformation/pages/conditions.aspx?hwid=zy1646
IF YOU OR AN AGING LOVED ONE ARE CONSIDERING CAREGIVERS IN SUMMERLIN, NV, PLEASE CONTACT THE CARING STAFF AT GOLDEN HEART SENIOR CARE OF SUMMERLIN. 702-800-4616.