Did Your Aging Parent Sustain An Injury That Required Surgery? 3 Things To Do Before Your Loved One Comes Home From The Hospital

5 October 2017
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It is frightening to hear that your elderly loved one was hurt bad enough that their injury required surgical repair. Yet, you are also looking forward to having them back at home where they feel the most comfortable. While you wait for their hospital discharge time, use the available free minutes to make sure that your loved one has everything they need in place at home for a successful recovery.

Set Up a Recovery Area

The first thing that you need to do is identify a place in your loved one's home where they can recover safely. Ideally, this should be a room that is big enough for a bed for your loved one along with enough space for the home health nurse who is providing elderly care to assist them with things such as therapeutic exercises. A bedroom or living area that is close to a bathroom and sink also minimizes the amount of moving throughout the house that your loved one must do until they have regained their strength and energy.

Provide Assistance for Wound Care

During your loved one's discharge from the hospital, they should be provided with instructions for caring for the surgical site. For instance, they may need to watch the incision for signs of infection and change the dressing regularly. For a senior with limited mobility, this may be an impossible task to do alone. For this reason, it is important to arrange for elderly home health care services that provide professional assistance with wound care. This not only helps your loved one lower the risk of secondary infections, but it also gives you peace of mind to know that they are still receiving optimum care even after they return home.

Plan for Medication Management

New medications are often prescribed after a surgery such as antibiotics or pain relievers. While this is beneficial for your loved one, any new prescription places them at risk for a medication mishap until they get used to the new routine. Elderly care services provide caregivers who can visit your loved one's home to assist with medication dispensing. Make sure that your loved one has someone there to help them learn the new dosage requirements while also keeping an eye out for potential negative reactions to new medications that impact their health.

The next few weeks will certainly involve a flurry of activity as your loved one continues recovering from their surgery at home. However, having all of the arrangements in place for a successful recovery allows you to relax and provide your loved one with the emotional support that they need to thrive.