Patient/caregiver was instructed upon measures to promote safety and reduce the workload during immediate post-surgical phase as follows:
Certain arrangements and minor modifications can help improve safety, reduce the effort and workload for individuals during immediate phase of hip replacement surgery.
- Using chairs with longer legs and elevated seats can help avoid too much bending at the hips and hips and prevent worsening of pain in the weightbearing joints. This also helps maintain stability, while transitioning between standing and sitting positions. Having armrests on the furniture also offers good support and helps stability during sitting and standing up.
- 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 hip 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 hip 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
