Surgery can be a challenging and traumatic experience for older adults, but what happens in the days and weeks after the surgery is often challenging.
Picture this: Your mom or dad is at a follow-up appointment but can’t remember what questions to ask. There are piles of medicines at home that they can’t remember to — or don’t want to — take. Around every corner is the possibility of a bad fall. And then they have to remember to cook food that matches post-op dietary needs. Heck, they have to be able to cook food that matches their dietary needs. That’s a lot to worry about.
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And if you can’t be around to help, post-operative time is probably just as overwhelming for you.
That’s where licensed home caregivers come in. Home caregivers in Whatcom County can take notes at doctor’s appointments, help patients move around their home, prepare meals that match dietary needs, offer reminders to take medications, change wound dressings and monitor how healing is progressing.
They also help ease the minds of those worried that their loved ones aren’t getting the care they need after surgery.
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A recent study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society found that after ambulatory surgery, elderly patients are more likely to require re-admission to the hospital within 30 days.
The best way to avoid that is to have someone around to help. At-home healthcare attendants can watch for infections or other complications before they worsen. They can also help ensure that older adults are getting the proper nutrition and are able to move around safely, both of which are critical to ensuring good post-operative recovery in older adults.
Don’t let surgery be scarier than it needs to be. For a free home care assessment to help you determine just what your parent needs and what a licensed at-home caregiver can provide, give Take My Hand At-Home Care a call at 360.543.5777. We are locally owned and operated in Whatcom County, and we’re here to help.
