How do you care for someone who had hip surgery?

Swelling: There will likely be swelling after the surgery; help reduce it by elevating your loved one's leg slightly and applying ice. Weight bearing: Someone recovering from hip surgery should use a walker or other assistive device until their balance, flexibility, and strength improve.

Will I need a caregiver after hip surgery?

Healing from surgery, especially joint replacement surgeries of the hip and knee, can require special attention from a caregiver. Care giving work can be hard. The hours are odd, physical strength is required, and then there is the whole waiting on another person part.

How long do you need someone to stay with you after hip replacement?

You will need someone to help you for several days to several weeks. The AAOS reports that most people will be able to resume most light activities of daily living independently within 3 to 6 weeks. Let's take a closer look at the general timeline for recovery after hip replacement surgery.

What are the precautions to remember for a patient recovering from hip surgery?

Hip replacement patients are given a long list of things not to do—do not bend the hips or knees further than 90 degrees, do not cross the legs, do not lift the leg to put on socks, and much more. These movement restrictions protect the new hip from dislocation.

How do you poop after hip surgery?

Be sure to drink plenty of fluids and eat foods high in fiber, such as fruits and vegetables, to prevent constipation. Use a stool softener while taking pain medication. Take a laxative if you do not have a bowel movement within two to three days. Notify your doctor if you don't have results after taking the laxative.

The first 6 weeks after Hip Surgery: Rapid Recovery Hip Replacement

What should you never do after hip replacement?

Can you be left alone after hip replacement?

Orthopedics. Most patients, even if they live alone, can safely go directly home from the hospital after hip or knee replacement surgery, according to a recent study.

How long are you on bed rest after a hip replacement?

How do I safely rest and sleep after a hip replacement? Elevate both of your legs when sitting to minimize swelling. When resting or sleeping in bed, lie on your non-operative side for the first four to six weeks following surgery.

What do you need at home after hip replacement?

A cane, crutches, or a walker. A reacher to help you pick up things from the floor, put on your pants, and take off your socks. A sock aid to help you put on your socks. Handle bars in the bathroom to allow you to steady yourself.

How long does an elderly person stay in the hospital after hip surgery?

The average length of stay was 30.7 days (standard deviation 24.5 days).

How long does it take to walk normally after hip surgery?

Most hip replacement patients are able to walk within the same day or next day of surgery; most can resume normal routine activities within the first 3 to 6 weeks of their total hip replacement recovery. Once light activity becomes possible, it's important to incorporate healthy exercise into your recovery program.

How do you shower after hip surgery?

Do not shower until 3 to 4 days after your surgery, or when your provider told you to shower. When you can shower, let water run over your incision but do not scrub it or let the water beat down on it. Do not soak in a bathtub, hot tub, or swimming pool. You may have bruising around your wound.

What are the 3 hip precautions?

Hip precautions encourage patients to avoid bending at the hip past 90°, twisting their leg in or out, and crossing their legs. Patients are also encouraged to sit with their hips higher than their knees, sit in a chair with armrests, and sleep on their back with a pillow between their legs.

Do I need a wheelchair after hip replacement?

For a joint replacement to succeed, patients need at least 3-4 months of a successful recovery. In the first few days after surgery, mobility is difficult without help, but not all patients need a wheelchair. Based on the procedure, patients can walk immediately for short distances with a cane or walker.

Can you live a normal life after hip replacement?

Around three months after your hip operation, most things will go back to normal, and the pain goes away for most people. You need to look out for signs of complications and continue being careful with how you move your hip. After 6 to 12 months, the recovery is considered complete.

Do I need a raised toilet seat after hip replacement?

After hip replacement surgery, you will need a raised toilet seat on your toilet at home. This is to make sure that your knees are not higher than your hips when sitting.

What happens first week after hip replacement?

Patients are up walking (with the walker for balance) and starting to resume activities of daily living, such as showering, getting the mail, and walking through the house. A list of basic exercises to start will be in the discharge paperwork, patients typically start 1-2 days after surgery.

Do you need someone to stay with you after surgery?

If you don't stay overnight, you will need someone to take you home because you won't be able to drive or take public transportation by yourself. It's best to have someone with you for at least the first 24 hours after general anesthesia.

What to do if you have no one to take care of you after surgery?

How painful is a hip replacement?

You can expect to experience some discomfort in the hip region itself, as well as groin pain and thigh pain. This is normal as your body adjusts to changes made to joints in that area. There can also be pain in the thigh and knee that is typically associated with a change in the length of your leg.

How should I sleep after hip surgery?

What kind of chair is best after hip replacement?

Sit in a firm, straight-back chair with arm rests. Do not sit on soft chairs, rocking chairs, sofas, or stools.

How do you wash your hair after a hip replacement?

Wash your hair using normal shampoo. Make sure you rinse the shampoo from your hair and body. Wash your face with your regular soap or cleanser. Using a fresh, clean washcloth and 1/3 of the Hibiclens Soap or CHG, wash from your neck down.

How long does it take an 80 year old to recover from hip surgery?

Long Recovery Time

The length of recovery from hip fractures among older patients can increase with age. In general, the older individuals are and the greater number of conditions they have, the longer it can take to recover. The recovery time for a hip replacement ranges from four weeks to up to six months.

Can you go home same day after hip replacement?

Same-day surgeries, also called outpatient surgery, are when a patient safely leaves the hospital to recover at home the same day as the surgery. About one-third to one-half of my patients with a knee or hip replacement surgeries can go home the same day as their procedures.