Welcoming someone home from surgery is exciting, fun, and a huge milestone for the one who has been in the hospital for some time. No matter the surgery type, getting prepared for someone who is returning home is something to plan for in advance. After all, there are dozens of surgery recovery tips out there. Here are a few major ones to make note of if you are welcoming someone back home after major or minor surgery.
1. Have All The Medication In Place
This may be a no-brainer for some, but having all of the individual’s medications in one designated area is important. If someone had major surgery and needs to take five different medications at different times during the day, consider setting up two to three different stations. One for the morning. The other for the afternoon. The third for nighttime medication. If someone only has to take the medication once a day, you will not need as many stations.
Let us say someone had a foot injury. Food injury treatment may look different for a variety of people. Some may have foot creams and medication. Depending on the foot injury treatment protocol your doctor gives you, having a designated area for creams or for pills can help you navigate the difference of when each should be used or applied.
2. Give Them a Gift
When someone is getting out of the hospital after minor or major surgery, having someone there is a huge blessing. Another way to make the individual feel celebrated is by buying them sympathy flowers or a card. Knowing someone missed them while they were in surgery or had them in their thoughts can make all the difference in recovery.
Creating a safe space for them to return to will give the patient a calm and easy transition into their recovery. If you are not a flower or card fan, think of something that they enjoy. Think of their favorite:
- Soup
- Books
- Movies
- Superheros
- Colors
- Place to visit
- Pasttimes
- Flavored drinks
Although this list is not exhaustive, all of these items can help you make them a welcome home basket or a recovery basket. Often, individuals will be stuck in bed depending on their surgery. One of the best surgery recovery tips is to get them their favorite movie or favorite colored blanket. Making someone feel at home can help ease the stress the individual faces when having to stay in one spot for a prolonged length of time.
3. Be Encouraging
Depending on the surgery type, physical therapy can be a tough thing to go through. Some individuals are in physical therapy for two months while others are in therapy for over a year.
Being encouraging during the tough physical therapy days is one if not the most important surgery recovery tips to keep in mind. Some individual’s bodies respond faster to this therapy while others take a longer time frame. There will be days that are harder than others but once the tough part is done with, therapy will get better over time.
4. Make The Walk To The Door Easier
During surgery, some individuals may come out with some crutches to be on for a few weeks or months. Investing in mulching services may be beneficial depending on your home entryway type. Preparing your home for the individual coming home takes time and some investment depending on what needs to be fixed which brings us to our other surgery recovery tips.
5. Look At Your Home
Take a look at your home when you have some time. Making modifications to your home can make all the difference for someone recovering from minor or major surgery. For instance, if you have someone who has surgery on their chest, you may want to think about checking into your air conditioner. Individuals who have chest surgery often have to wear a wrap for weeks. This can make them feel warm. They may need a room where the air conditioner is strong. If you need an air conditioning contractor, consider getting one before welcoming the individual who has surgery into your home.
Having things in place in your home is imperative to surgery recovery tips. If someone had ankle surgery or knee surgery, and you have caret, invest in oriental rug repair if you have any rugs on your carpet that are damaged. This will prevent any trips or further injuries to the individual who had surgery.
Let us say you had your carpets, air conditioning, and rugs checked on. Maybe you are having someone in your home during the winter months. Checking on the heater is something that should always be done. IF the heater does not work, you can invest in HVAC contractors.
Having efficient heater and air conditioning services in your home will not only help the individual who had surgery more relaxed, but it will also help you feel less stressed when you do not have to worry about any mishaps in these services in your home.
6. Consider Cleaning Your Home
This is something everyone should write down and do when looking at surgery recovery tips. Having a clean home can help you in many ways such as:
- Feeling less stressed
- Being better prepared
- Not worrying about tidying up when the person gets out of surgery
- Being able to focus more on the individual who had surgery and their recovery
If you are someone who is constantly busy with little to no time to tend to your home have no fear. There are local cleaning services available in your area to help you take this load and stress off of you. When searching for these services look at:
- Reviews
- Bundled packages
- Fees
- Their social media
- Their results
It is important to do your research on these services prior to hiring anybody. You are trusting someone with your home and their results should show with past clientele work.
Having a clean home helps declutter random items find a placement in your home. It helps the individual have a clear and healthy setting to be in. Investing in a bit of custom home improvement can go a long way prior to the individual having their surgery.
7. Plan Action Steps Before the Surgery
No matter the surgery, there is a time period where individuals will need a lot of rest and relaxation. In fact, the number one most common surgery performed in the U.S. is cataract removal surgery. Implementing action steps before surgery is imperative and should be the top surgery recovery tips to your sheet of tips.
If you know that something in or outside of your house needs work on and you are aware of a loved one needing or getting surgery soon, the best thing to do is to take action now. Whether it is gutter cleaning, room remodeling, or garage door fixtures, taking action can help the process run smoother when the time comes for the individual to come home.
First thing is first. When creating a list of surgery recovery tips, put home inspection at the top of your list. Creating lists will help you keep track of what needs to be done, what is getting fixed on, and what is completed.
Having a list of what needs to be done can help you create an action plan. It is best to know what kind of surgery the individual is having when it comes to referencing surgery recovery tips. If someone is going to be having trouble walking, having a paved entryway that is smooth can be helpful. If someone is having surgery on their upper body limbs, creating easy access to common reaches can be highly beneficial as well. Tailor your home to the individual who is getting that major or minor surgery.
8. Invest In Help
Sometimes doing things on our own can be tiresome. If you have had zero experience helping with someone after surgery, think about asking a friend or family member who has experience with this to help show you the ropes. If they can’t, then ask them for advice on what you should have before and after the individual’s surgery.
9. Have The Right Foods
If someone is getting their wisdom teeth removed, knowing what foods they can eat is imperative to their recovery. The last thing you want to give them is hard candy. Consulting a doctor should help with this area.
This is one minor example of surgery recovery tips that is essential to the individual’s surgery type. For instance, let us say someone is having major surgery on their kidneys or lungs. They may not be able to eat certain types of food or solid food.
The safest food item to go with is soup for almost any surgery type. For some, individuals may need assistance with eating. Having a small tray to go on the bed or near them can be helpful with this process. The good thing about soup is that it comes in a variety of flavors from a variety of places. There is something for everyone when it comes to soup flavors and tastes.
10. Setting Time Aside For Yourself
One thing most individuals forget to do when taking care of someone else is to set aside a time for them to tend to themselves. This can look like:
- Taking a bath
- Reading a chapter from a book
- Watching an episode of your favorite sitcom
- Going out for a brief walk or jog
- Getting yourself something to eat
This list is not exhaustive but it is an important surgery recovery tip when it comes to the caregiver. No matter the length of time you are taking care of someone else, making some time for yourself is essential. This can come in a variety of ways. Creating 10 minutes of time for yourself can help you give some energy to the person you are helping.
Majority of times, individuals who are recovering from surgery get tired of looking at a certain colored wall or window after so many hours or days. They may need your help:
- Reaching items
- Getting dressed
- Walking
- Getting them food
- Taking a shower
- Brushing their teeth
This list is a brief look into what you may be doing for someone else after their minor or major surgery. For instance, individuals who have surgery because they have cancer may need a lot of time dedicated to them.
It is good to note that making time for yourself is not a bad thing, it is something you must do in order to better help others. You cannot pour from an empty cup is what the majority of people tell me when asking for tips on helping others recover from major surgery.
If you are struggling with finding time to spend on yourself, consider doing this when the individual falls asleep. Sleep is also crucial when it comes to someone recovering from minor or major surgery. This all depends on the type of surgery they have, but eventually, people fall asleep after hours of not being able to do anything.
When the individual is asleep, consider doing some stuff for you. If you would rather clean, tidy up, or tend to things in your household do that as well. Doing things that give you some peace and joy is always the best route to go when taking care of someone else, especially when you can fit it in for five to ten minutes.
Bonus Tip: Recovery Is A Process, Be Ready To Learn
The beauty of recovery from surgery and welcoming someone into your home is that this is a learning process for both of you. Many of us may not like learning by diving headfirst into a task with little to no guidance. However, this can help you by allowing you to learn more about yourself, them, and the surgery recovery process.
Keep a journal of the daily strengths or growth that you and the other individual are taking. There is light at the end of the tunnel no matter the surgery type. Celebrate the small successes along the way. When the individual who had surgery hits a milestone, congratulate them and be their cheerleader. When you learn something new, celebrate yourself and give yourself a pat on the back.
Being able to learn is essential to this process. Growth will occur and you will see the beauty at the end of this time.