The patient/caregiver was educated on measures to promote safety and reduce the workload during immediate post-surgical phase as follows:
- Individuals must avoid or minimize any activity requiring sudden position change during the immediate post-surgical phase. Pain and stiffness in the surgical joint can lead to poor balance and compromised safety. Individuals could also be taking lot of medications that can make them drowsy and confused, which complements the fall risk. Sudden change of position during bending down or assuming a standing position from sitting etc., can lead to rapid fall in blood pressure numbers contributing to confusion and risk for fall.
- Tenderness and stiffness in the surgical knee joint can lead to poor balance and compromised safety. Rearrange shelves in the bedroom, closets, kitchen, and refrigerator with items that are used regularly placed in the upper shelves. This helps an easy reach and cuts down the need to bend the surgical knee joint to access the lower shelves. Using long handle reacher can help pick or reach out to items located too low or too high.
- Wear clothing with pockets to carry essential items, such as, telephone, personal alert systems. During the night, make sure you leave these essential items on the nightstand located within an arm reach, which helps with easy access, if need be. They come in handy to call for help during emergencies and falls. Also, carrying the essential items in the pockets will leave the hands to hold the assistive device and other supportive structures firmly to avoid falls.
- Have the house well-lighted. Maintain easy access to the switch board, to avoid accessing difficult areas in the dark. Having a remote to turn the light on and off can be of extra help. Leaving a nightlamp on showing the path from bed to the restroom can help prevent accidents during the night. Maintaining a torch or flashlight at bedside can help during power shortage. Having a bedside commode and urinal can help reduce restroom trips during the night in a dazed state.
