Planning your recovery before surgery can be daunting, especially when you live alone. The thought of being discharged from hospital and returning home without a strong support system is often overwhelming. However, with the right preparation and planning, recovery can be much smoother than you’re anticipating.
Today, we’ll explore how to prepare before your surgery date to ensure the smoothest recovery period, foster independence and get back to your normal routine as soon as possible.
Optimise Your Home to Get Ready for Recovery
One of the best ways to ensure a successful recovery period is to prepare before your surgery date. This means that once you arrive home post-op, you don’t have to worry about straining yourself by rushing the use of stairs and moving furniture out of the way.
Preparing your home sets you up for a stress-free recovery. Consider whether the following optimisations will help you, and implement them before heading to the hospital:
- Set up a temporary sleep area: Choose a place to sleep that is close to the bathroom and accessible without climbing stairs.
- Be mindful of stairs: Consider aids like a stair lift or temporary ramp if you climb to take indoor and outdoor stairs.
- Stock up on essentials: Make sure you have enough toilet paper, hand sanitiser, soap, shampoo and other personal items to avoid having to visit the shops.
- Keep your most-used belongings close: Set up a caddy to keep your glasses, remote control, phone, e-reader and medications on hand and easily accessible.
- Buy a stainless steel jug: This will keep water cool so you can stay hydrated without walking to and from the kitchen multiple times a day.
- Place chargers within reach: Use a cable organiser to prevent having to bend down and risk losing your balance to reach chargers.
- Consider walkways and trip hazards: If you’re using a walker or crutches, make sure your walkways are clear to prevent falls.
Plan Your Journey Home
If your doctor has given you an idea of when you’ll be able to go home after your operation, you might be able to arrange accessible transportation in advance. Most doctors advise not driving after surgery, so consider:
- Booking a taxi or rideshare service
- Asking a neighbour or loved one to drive you home
- Checking public transport schedules
If you’re considering pre-arranging home care, your carer can also assist you with returning home. A carer will help you get inside and into bed or a comfortable chair, starting your recovery off on the right foot.
Stock Up on Medications
Most hospitals will fill any prescriptions your doctor orders before discharge, but making sure you have enough over-the-counter painkillers and other prescribed medications prevents you from having to visit the pharmacy while you should be resting. For ongoing prescriptions, ask your GP if you can have enough medicine to cover your recovery period to avoid having to request repeats.
Stock up on painkillers just in case you run out of those prescribed by the hospital. Pain management is vital to a smooth recovery, and running out may leave you susceptible to unnecessary pain, an increased risk of falling and negative emotions. Even if you think you won’t need painkillers, it’s often recommended to have them at home just in case.
Consider Mobility and Accessibility Restrictions
Some people think changing the places of all your belongings, like medications, cups and clothing, is a waste of time before surgery, but it’s definitely worth it. Even keyhole surgeries take between five and ten days to heal back to increased mobility, and having everything within reach makes recovery much easier and reduces the risk of complications.
We recommend putting most things you’re likely to need between waist and shoulder level to avoid reaching or straining. Excessive movements like this risk reopening wounds and inviting bacteria to cause infections. The importance of considering potential restrictions cannot be overstated, particularly when living alone.
Prepare Nutritious Meals and Snacks
Provided you have enough freezer space, batch cooking nutritious meals allows you to skip meal planning and preparation during the initial stages of recovery. Freeze single portions so you can heat them up as and when needed rather than spending hours cooking every meal.
Post-op nutrition is incredibly important. Nutrients like protein, vitamins and minerals are essential for promoting a speedy recovery and boosting your energy levels. Eating too many processed foods can leave you feeling sluggish and worse overall.
Along with frozen meals, stock up on:
- Canned fruits, vegetables and soups
- Frozen fruit for smoothies, and vegetables that can be microwaved
- Dry foods, including cereal and snack bars
If you don’t have enough freezer space or don’t feel up to cooking lots of meals before your surgery date, consider ordering a meal delivery service in advance. This lets you relax in the knowledge that your meals will be catered for after you’re discharged from hospital.
Focus On Your Health Prior to Surgery
Making sure you go into surgery as healthy as possible helps aid recovery and gets you back on your feet quickly, which is the goal when you live alone. Practice healthy eating habits, reducing your intake of processed foods, sugar and caffeine.
Drinking alcohol and smoking can slow healing, so it’s recommended that you cut down before surgery and avoid them until your recovery period is completed.
Gentle exercises can boost your body’s internal processes, stamina and health. It improves blood oxygen levels to make healing more effective, which is essential post-operation when wounds need to heal from the inside out. Talk to your GP about safe exercises to start before your operation date.
Consider Home Aids for Safety
Aids and equipment are often essential when returning home after an operation. These keep you safe and provide assistance should you need it. Beneficial mobility aids to help you live safely include:
- Personal alarm: An alarm that you keep on your person, such as around your neck, with a button to press should you need emergency assistance.
- Grab bars: Install these near the bed, chairs and toilet to help you get up and down without losing your balance.
- Walking aids: Crutches, wheelchairs and walking sticks can help you get around the house without increasing your risk of falling.
- Grabber tool: A grabber can help you pick things up from the floor to prevent you from having to bend, keeping you safer.
Know When to Ask for Help
Even if you live alone, you might have loved ones who can provide assistance while you recover from surgery. Simple things like bringing over pre-made meals, taking your pet for a walk or cleaning the house can be a huge weight off your shoulders and help you recover more quickly.
If your loved ones live too far away or can’t help as much as you need, a carer is another possibility. Whether you need daily assistance from a visiting carer or require more extensive live-in support, home care helps you recover in familiar surroundings without the added stress of moving into temporary accommodation.
Getting enough rest is essential for a good recovery, so don’t be hesitant to ask for and accept help when it’s offered. A loved one or carer can assist with steadying and mobility reassurance, helping complete post-operative exercises and more, without increasing the risk of overexerting yourself and having to be readmitted to hospital.
How Trinity Homecare Can Help
At Trinity Homecare, our goal is to offer all of our clients outstanding support from the comfort of their own homes. We’ll match you with a fully trained, compassionate carer with experience in postoperative care, so you can rest assured that your recovery will be as smooth and efficient with us in your corner.
The care we provide includes:
- One-to-one support at home
- Completely bespoke live-in care that has been tailored to you
- Specialist care for a number of different circumstances
- Home carers carefully matched to your needs
- CQC rated ‘Outstanding’ live-in care services
Our short-term post-surgery care includes assistance with tasks of daily living, such as bathing and dressing, cooking and light housekeeping, pet care and companionship. We help clients who live alone feel more comfortable and confident post-operation through complete care that fosters independence and supports mobility.
Talk to Our Team Today
If your loved one requires home care, chat with one of our friendly care team today. We offer a free, no-obligation enquiry and assessment service and are happy to offer information and advice to help you find the perfect home care solution.
Call us on 020 4572 5583 in confidence for a free no obligation quotation. If enquiring outside of our opening hours, please complete our online form and we will contact you the next day.
