After a surgical procedure, most patients will need postoperative care to a certain extent. If you or a loved one is planning for an upcoming operation date and worried about rehabilitating at home, professional visiting and live-in care services can help.Â
A postoperative carer can provide assistance with daily activities, such as bathing and cooking, symptom management and mobility assistance as you return to your usual routine. Keep reading to learn more about how Trinity Homecare can help you recover from minor and major surgical procedures.
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What Is Postoperative Care?
Postoperative care is the care provided after a surgical procedure. It typically begins in the hospital immediately after surgery and continues at home after discharge.
Postoperative care is usually short-term and focused on supporting the individual to recover. There are two types of postoperative care: inpatient care, often called postoperative hospital care, and home-based care, often called postoperative home care.
Postoperative care often involves:Â
- Pain and symptom management
- Emergency assistance should it be required
- Assisting with mobility
- Monitoring for complications and side effects
- Encouraging diet, lifestyle or exercise recommendations
- Help attending follow-up appointments
Postoperative hospital care
Postoperative hospital care, also known as inpatient postoperative care, is a type of care delivered in a hospital or other medical facility and begins immediately after the surgical procedure ends. The level of postoperative care given depends on the patient and the type of surgical intervention.
Postoperative care is often given to both inpatients and outpatients. This type of support is usually delivered by nurses and doctors and may include monitoring vital signs immediately after surgery, wound care, assisting the patient with movement, such as sitting up or going to the toilet, and managing medications and pain relief.
Considerations for postoperative care at home
For the patient and their family, the period of recovery at home after a surgical procedure can be challenging. It may be difficult for the patient and family to imagine the support they will need after surgery.
Some people, such as the elderly, often need more postoperative care support than others. For some people, this may mean relying heavily on family and friends for tasks such as grocery shopping, home care or assistance with moving around or with day-to-day activities like dressing, washing or preparing meals.
Postoperative home care also takes into consideration pre-existing health conditions. For people with existing health conditions, extra care must be taken at this time to manage post-surgery recovery and ensure any existing concerns are managed. This provides the best recovery outcomes and supports a return to general well-being as quickly as possible, whilst minimising the risk of complications.
Bespoke Postoperative Care from Trinity Homecare
At Trinity Homecare, we have provided postoperative home care for over 25 years. Our professional care teams and expertly trained carers are highly experienced in providing high-quality postoperative care to support the best possible recovery and prevent complications.
In our most recent Care Quality Commission (CQC) audit, which regulates the home care industry, we received the highest rating possible: ‘Outstanding’. This means we are proven to provide safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led services.
Support from a Trinity carer gives you or your loved one complete peace of mind. Knowing that a professional carer is on hand to provide the highest standards of care and help with daily tasks gives much-needed reassurance and support to the patient and the family.Â
Carers at Trinity Homecare can help in many ways to ensure a smooth, safe and quick recovery.
What Does Postoperative Care Involve?
Postoperative care isn’t just wound dressing and helping with medications. Postoperative home care from Trinity Homecare means you get support in all areas of your day-to-day living during your recovery.
A Trinity carer can help with:
Our professional and discreet carers can support you with daily activities, such as bathing, dressing, toilet support and assistance in getting up in the morning or going to bed at night.
Help to move around the home safely to encourage physical activity and independence. This may also include any prescribed physical therapy for recovery, such as post-surgery exercises or encouraging the person to stay mobile to aid in a swift recovery and avoid complications such as blood clots.
Our carers can monitor your symptoms and pain levels to ensure your recovery continues as smoothly and simply as possible. They can encourage you to seek help if you have any fears, concerns or questions about wound care or normal recovery parameters.Â
Any reasonable help around the home, from cleaning, tidying and doing the laundry, to walking the dog.
Nutritious home-cooked meals, following any dietary recommendations from medical professionals involved in your care, to ensure nutritional needs are met on a daily basis.
Support with existing health conditions such as dementia or cancer care.
Such as collecting prescriptions, paying bills and doing grocery shopping.
The friendship and reassurance offered by a regular home carer cannot be underestimated in maintaining a person’s well-being, especially during a period of convalescence when an individual feels more vulnerable.
Read more about our companionship care.
Visits to the coffee shop or local shops, arranging and accompanying follow-up medical appointments, or simply a trip to the park.
Benefits of postoperative care
Professional postoperative home care is multifaceted and as such, has many and broad-ranging benefits:
- Reduces recovery times: Personalised care support means you receive timely, specialist care that enhances recovery times and outcomes.
- Decreases the risk of infection and complications: Regular support from a professional carer trained in postoperative care greatly reduces the risks of complications related to surgery and other existing health conditions.
- Recover in comfort and maintain daily routines: Postoperative care at home means you get to recuperate in the comfort of your own home rather than an institutional care facility, so you can maintain your daily schedule, independence and preferred way of living.
- Ensures personal needs are met: Home carer support means you get help with all aspects of your daily life, from laundry and grocery shopping to pet care and home cleaning.
How to arrange postoperative care
If you or a loved one is preparing for surgery and thinks they may need postoperative care, it can be an unsettling time as the future is uncertain. At Trinity Homecare, we have decades of experience in providing postoperative care and we know it can be a stressful time. We can manage the process for you whilst you maintain your independence and freedom of choice.
We offer a free, no-obligation enquiry service, so you can explore our services with no pressure. Our free enquiry service includes an at-home assessment to understand your needs, and we work closely with family and other care professionals involved in your care to create a personalised, holistic care plan specific to you.
Whether you are looking to implement postoperative home care or have any queries about our services, our professional care team is on hand to answer them.
Get in touch with our friendly and compassionate team today by calling 0207 183 4884 or completing our online enquiry form. Our telephone line is open Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm / Saturday & Sunday, 9am to 5pm. Our team is happy to assist you in any way we can.
