Post-Operative Home Care
The care you need, in your own environment
After you’ve had surgery, you want to get home as soon as possible to continue your recovery. Post-operative home care provides help from nurses, therapists, home health aides and others, so you can heal safely and comfortably at home.
You can recuperate at home with the help of these services:
Assessment
We assess your home to ensure it is safe for you as you recover from surgery. We make suggestions for getting rid of hazards both inside and outside your home. A common problem that we see, which you may not even notice, is throw rugs and cords that can cause you to fall. We want you to heal as quickly as possible and to be able to carry out your daily activities and complete any needed therapies without setbacks and the risk of injury.
Pain and symptom management
In some cases, you might receive pain medicine or medicines to control other symptoms by infusion or injection after surgery. This means that the medicine goes directly into your system through an intravenous (IV) tube or an injection and has a faster effect than oral medications. We provide you with the medicine, equipment and supplies you need and teach you to administer your therapy properly and safely. Our nurses check regularly to ensure that your medicine is working and to answer any questions that you may have. If your medicine plan needs to change, we contact your physician.
Rehabilitation
You may need physical, occupational or speech therapy to help you regain certain abilities after surgery. Goals include improving your strength, mobility, communication and independence with activities of daily living. Therapy typically includes regular visits from one or more types of therapist who create an exercise routine that you perform on your own or with help from a caregiver. These rehabilitation experts assist you in returning to the activities that make your life productive and enjoyable. If you cannot perform tasks the way you used to, we can help you learn new ways to do them.
Wound care
Keeping your surgical wound clean and free of infection is key to recovery after a major operation. Your care plan may include regular visits from our team so that we can change your wound dressings and monitor healing. We use a variety of advanced techniques, such as compression therapies and negative-pressure (vacuum) approaches, to provide the best outcomes. Effective wound care promotes complete healing while limiting pain and scarring.
What to Expect from Post-Operative Home Care
You can recuperate at home with the help of these services:
Assessment
We assess your home to ensure it is safe for you as you recover from surgery. We make suggestions for getting rid of hazards both inside and outside your home. A common problem that we see, which you may not even notice, is throw rugs and cords that can cause you to fall. We want you to heal as quickly as possible and to be able to carry out your daily activities and complete any needed therapies without setbacks and the risk of injury.
Pain and symptom management
In some cases, you might receive pain medicine or medicines to control other symptoms by infusion or injection after surgery. This means that the medicine goes directly into your system through an intravenous (IV) tube or an injection and has a faster effect than oral medications. We provide you with the medicine, equipment and supplies you need and teach you to administer your therapy properly and safely. Our nurses check regularly to ensure that your medicine is working and to answer any questions that you may have. If your medicine plan needs to change, we contact your physician.
Rehabilitation
You may need physical, occupational or speech therapy to help you regain certain abilities after surgery. Goals include improving your strength, mobility, communication and independence with activities of daily living. Therapy typically includes regular visits from one or more types of therapist who create an exercise routine that you perform on your own or with help from a caregiver. These rehabilitation experts assist you in returning to the activities that make your life productive and enjoyable. If you cannot perform tasks the way you used to, we can help you learn new ways to do them.
Wound care
Keeping your surgical wound clean and free of infection is key to recovery after a major operation. Your care plan may include regular visits from our team so that we can change your wound dressings and monitor healing. We use a variety of advanced techniques, such as compression therapies and negative-pressure (vacuum) approaches, to provide the best outcomes. Effective wound care promotes complete healing while limiting pain and scarring.
Be sure to write down questions you want to ask your provider so you don’t forget at the appointment.
- Will my insurance cover home services?
- Can I get help that includes cooking and bathing?
- What kind of screening of home health aides do you do?
- What kind of identification can I expect the home care providers to have so I can make sure they’re safe?
- Do I have to make the changes in my home they recommend?
- Can I request the services for the time of day that’s most convenient for me?
Questions to Ask Your Provider
Be sure to write down questions you want to ask your provider so you don’t forget at the appointment.
- Will my insurance cover home services?
- Can I get help that includes cooking and bathing?
- What kind of screening of home health aides do you do?
- What kind of identification can I expect the home care providers to have so I can make sure they’re safe?
- Do I have to make the changes in my home they recommend?
- Can I request the services for the time of day that’s most convenient for me?
