How to Help Your Loved Ones Pre and Post Joint Replacement Surgery
Patients undergoing joint replacement surgery can use all the help they can get–even if they don’t always know how to ask for it. Major surgery presents more than physical challenges, and it’s profoundly helpful for patients to have support in all forms.Whether you are the spouse, child, friend, sibling, or other family member of a joint replacement patient, there are ways you can help.
Educate Yourself
A little homework can go a long way. Joint replacement surgery means confronting a lot of potentially scary experiences, such as anesthesia, the operation, and the medications many patients take after surgery. The more mysterious these things are, the more frightening. The more you can discuss them, understand them, and prepare for them, the more comfortable patients can feel with the procedure. Walk through the steps of preparation and recovery with the patient regularly to make them clearer and more familiar.
Meet The Doctor(s)
Ask if you can tag along on a visit to the doctor. The physicians, surgeons, and physical therapists that your loved one will be seeing are a great resource for tips on how you can help provide the best care. Plus, it can be overwhelming as a patient to take in all the info and guidelines discussed each visit. You can help by taking notes, and by asking questions. As an outsider, you may have a clearer perspective on the conversation–patients can feel distracted by anxiety, pain, or, post-surgery, even medication. You may even want to brainstorm some questions with your loved one beforehand, so that you can make sure they are all answered.
Chauffeur
This may sound obvious, but transportation is a big deal to someone going into or recovering from surgery. Even if a patient is technically okay to drive, they may feel uncomfortable doing so, and may be reluctant to ask for a ride to avoid feeling as if they are a burden. If your availability as a driver is limited, help look for a solution. Organize a rideshare group with other family members or friends who want to pitch in. Or, look for a reliable car service or app like Uber or Lyft, and try using it together to help get your loved one comfortable with this alternative.
Be a Rehabilitation Cheerleader
Recovery from joint replacement surgery can be slow, and even painful. It can be easy to feel like things will never get better, or even that they’re worse than before. Keep your loved one motivated by tracking and celebrating their progress–even the small stuff. Assure them that recovery takes time (though if it seems to be taking too long, definitely call the doctor). Recognize the hard work they’re putting in, and let them know that you’re proud of them.
Take Care of Yourself
At the end of the day, don’t forget to take care of yourself. Get sleep, eat well, exercise. Your loved one made the very difficult decision to undergo joint replacement–very likely in part because they want to be more mobile, and better able to be part of your life. The best way you can honor and respect their courage and strength is to not take your health for granted.
If you or someone you love is considering joint replacement surgery, we encourage you to request an appointment with our joint specialists to learn more about your options.
