How to Help an Older Person Settle Back Home After Surgery
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Recovering from surgery can be challenging no matter how old you might be, but an older person can need a lot more care, and their recovery might be longer. There could be physical problems afterwards as well, and all of this needs to be taken into account so that you can ensure they’re able to settle back home after surgery in whatever form that takes.
This can sound daunting, and being responsible for making sure this is done properly can feel overwhelming, but if you plan ahead and put measures in place as soon as possible, it can certainly all work out well. Read on to find out more about the kinds of things you need to think about.
Be Honest
The first thing to consider before you make any adjustments or do anything else is whether or not settling back home is actually the right thing for your older relative. It might be that they would be better in a care home, or even moving in with you or someone else who might be able to help, and although you might want them to be able to go back home, that’s not always a good idea.
That’s why you need to be honest and think carefully about whether or not it’s something that will benefit your loved one. It’s a very hard decision to make, and ideally, it should involve other family members as well as the older person (if they are able to contribute to the discussion), but it’s one that needs to be made.
Stock up on Supplies
Assuming it seems best for the older person to go back home after surgery, you’re going to need to stock up on various supplies for them. You’ll need their medication and anything they need to take care of their wounds, so speak to the nurse at the hospital to ensure you have everything you need and you know precisely how to use it.
You’ll also need other medical supplies that you’ll need to get yourself. These are things that will make your older loved one’s life a little more comfortable, like dry wipes, for example. If you need to see how useful they could be, shop our range of Conti Dry Wipes to find out more. Browse, and you’ll see there are many things that can help, so make sure you’ve got everything in place before they get home.
Plan for Meals
If your loved one is going to have the best recovery possible, they’ll need to eat well and get all the nutrition they need to ensure their body can do its job. It’s a great idea to plan out a few weeks of nutritious meals in advance and maybe even batch cook and freeze some to keep them going for the first week or so – you can add more to the freezer once a week until they’re better (or whatever system works best for you).
Alternatively, you can organise healthy food to be delivered through a meal delivery service. As long as the food is fresh and full of vitamins and minerals, it doesn’t matter where it comes from.
Image by svklimkin from Pixabay
