Blog > Things Your Elderly Loved One Should Do and Avoid After Their Hip Replacement Surgery

Things Your Elderly Loved One Should Do and Avoid After Their Hip Replacement Surgery

Is your elderly loved one going to have a hip replacement surgery? If so, there are some things they should do and some things they absolutely shouldn’t do. There are far too many elderly people who don’t have a successful hip replacement surgery. One of the reasons for this is because they don’t follow the do’s and don’ts during the recovery process. You and home care providers can help to make sure your elderly loved one is doing what they should after their surgery.

Things to Do After Hip Replacement Surgery

Home Care Live Oak FL - Things Your Elderly Loved One Should Do and Avoid After Their Hip Replacement Surgery — Home Care Live Oak FL – Things Your Elderly Loved One Should Do and Avoid After Their Hip Replacement Surgery

There are many things that your elderly loved one should do when recovering from a hip replacement surgery. Some of these things include the following:

Keep the leg that was operated on forward-facing
Be sure the leg that was operated on is in front of the body (when sitting and standing)
Use ice off and on to reduce the amount of swelling
Use heat off and on 15 to 20 minutes before doing exercises (helps to warm up the muscles and improvement movement)
If in pain, reduce exercises, but keep active (if there is too much pain during exercises, call the doctor)
Talk to the doctor about the best and safest sleeping positions
Don’t carry too much weight (the doctor should let you know what you are allowed to carry)

These are some of the things that your elderly loved one should do after their hip replacement surgery. If they don’t follow these tips, they aren’t as likely to have a successful hip replacement surgery. You and the home care providers can help to make sure your loved one is doing these things during the recovery process.

Things Not to Do After Hip Replacement Surgery

There are also some things that your elderly loved one should not do after a hip replacement surgery. Some of the things that your loved one shouldn’t do include the following:

Cross their legs for the first 6 to 8 weeks after surgery
Let the knees sit any higher than their hips
Lean forward when sitting
Don’t pick things up from the floor
Turn the food inward or outward when bending down
Bend their waist past 90 degrees
Twist their hips

If your elderly loved one can avoid doing these things after their hip replacement surgery, the recovery should be much smoother.

‘These are some of the do’s and don’ts of a hip replacement surgery. If your elderly loved one can follow all the recommendations and orders their doctor gives them, along with the advice here today, they are much more likely to have success after their surgery.

Sources:

https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000171.htm
https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/en/treatment/total-hip-replacement

If you are considering Home Care Services in Live Oak FL, for an aging loved one, please contact the caring staff at Touching Hearts Home Care. Call today: 352-225-3727.