Caring for mother after hip replacment

How old is your mom?  I'm 61. Had my THR 3 weeks ago. I needed someone overnight first 2 nights to wake me to get meds and ice. Also had to have help in and out of shower for 1 week. Otherwise I was by myself. People looked in on me for meals. I did prepare some frozen before surgery. I was glad to be alone to rest. Of course I needed some one to run errands to store, put shoes and socks on, etc. 

It's hard to answer without knowing more about your mother (e.g. age and fitness level) and how long she'll be in the hospital (In Canada, they tend to send you home as soon as you are healthy enough). Also in the early stages of recovery, the surgery approach will make a huge difference.  If it's an anterior approach, when she gets out of the hospital she might be able to do a lot of what she could do before.  If it's a posterior approach, it's likely that for the first 10 days she'll be very dependant on you for almost everything (getting in / out of bed, getting dressed, making meals, carrying anything, lifting anything, etc).

Im 20 years old and for my first few weeks my mam had to help me dress when i couldnt get the gadget to work, bring me food and drinks, put my ted stockings on, shoes, help me into bed. This was the main one, the first week i was up probably every hour but couldnt lift my own legs so she had to put me back into bed. She also washed my hair for me. Just stuff like that really. Anything i dropped someone had to pick up

I am 58 and was able to stay on my own from the first night home. I had family make meals etc but was glad to be on my own as I rested a fair bit the first week. I too prepared lots of meals prior to surgery however many dropped off hot meals. I was not allowed to shower for 2 weeks until my staples were remove and after used a bath transfer chair to the shower. I was fine on my own!

Hi Metsa it is going to be difficult for the first few days to get on and off of the bed, also sitting is going to be difficult, and sitting on the Loo...and getting off of the Loo and the pain killers stop you going to the Loo...but it gets better quickly and you do get used to it quickly then you start to feel better once the stitches come out and the dressing is removed after 10 days to two weeks,sleeping on a slope takes some getting used to, but the most important thing is to do the bed excersise as often as you can, and they make you tired too, if you do enough.

Been there twice and know about it, and had no trouble sleeping really.

Just get past the stitches out and that is a milestone.

What is nice though, is there is no hip pain anymore....

Keep in touch.  Best of luck.  Ian.

Hi Metsa I had posterier ap am now 9 weeks post op and 61y out of bed hours after op in hospital

leg a little difficult getting into bed but you cope

husband helped with shower,slept alot first few

days as exercises take it out of you having to

sleep on your back is a pig get your mum a grabber as she won't be able to pick up of floor ,also

helpful for pulling Knicks up.

Lots of hugs to your mum

The physio taught me to get on and off the bed by using a bed sheet or handle of cane to lift my leg onto the bed. I had to do that for a few weeks but it got easier. Also a rider in the toilet really helps.

There is a great video avaialble on line (done by my local hospital) that may help you, sorry we are not allowed to post the link, but just paste this into google.

Preparing for your Total Hip Replacement at Chapel Allerton Hospital.

Hi Metsa,

You've already gotten lots of good advice. But I suggest that you look at a website created by one of the forum members and referenced by the forum moderator:

https://patient.info/forums/discuss/thr-useful-resources-487147

It will give you a good overview to the operation and summarizes helpful hints and tips from forum members, including a list of aids that your Mum should have. Key aids include: a grabber, long shoe horn, sock putter-on, raised toliet seat and blocks for her main sitting chair to ensure it is at the right height (see pamphlet from hospital or online). But ... your surgeon or hospital where the surgery will take place should provide you with lists of some of this. I also suggest ensuring that she has loose lower clothing to wear while recovering (the swelling gets pretty substantial; I used my husbands flannel sleep pants for the most of the first week), a good pair of loose slip on shoes, wetwipes (you have no idea how much sweating you can do - even after menopause) and a few cold packs (to help with the swelling).

It is worth spending a bit of time preparing things a little so your Mom can be as self-sufficent as possible - move regularly used items to a reachable height; stock up on easy to eat (and tempting foods), esp protein rich ones as this is key to to good healing; and think through leisure activities that can help distract from her situation (in pain, swollen, feeling very emotional from dependency and above). You might also encourage your Mom to speak to her friends to set up a regular round of visits to keep her spirits up and do light tasks for her - even bring round a nice movie to watch together.  

If you want to understand what she is going to face, check out one of the video clips of the operation on youtube. If you are squeemish, watch the animated one. The reason I suggest this is that many people do not realize how serious this operation is or why recovery takes so much time. Twenty plus muscles and other connective tissues are affected and need to heal in addition to the femur and pelvic bone. So, it is important to take her meds regularly (I used the alarm on my cell phone) to keep pain and swelling managed and so that one can do the exercises needed to start the healing, minimize swelling and avoid blood clots.

There will likely be activity restrictions: BLT (no bending, lifting or twisting) for six weeks plus NO breaching 90 degrees. These are designed to avoid dislocation of the new hip and allow tissues to knit back around the hip and start healing more generally.

This operation was a very good thing for me, but I did not (despite a fair amount of research) appreciate how tough the first two weeks would be and how long it would take to regain function and independence - this can be very demoralizing.

This forum was a godsend - for advice and encouragement and also a safe place to vent with people who have been through it. You and your Mom will find the most generous and kind people here. Don't be a stranger.

Best wishes,

L  

Hi, I'm 58, had my hip replacement 7 weeks ago.Apart from my hip, I was fit before the op, and I'm slim. Obviously varies a lot from person to person, but here's my experience. Was v lucky, surgery and hospital experience really positive. Home on day 2, v little pain, took all suggested pain relief for at least 2 weeks. Didn't have any trouble getting in and out of bed. Able to go up and down stairs on crutches, use loo independently. (You do need a raised seat.) Things my husband helped with: washing my legs and feet in the shower, getting washing out of the.machine, getting support socks on and off. That's v tricky, a nurse showed a good way, put a plastic bag over your foot, and then pull it out when the sock is on. You're not meant to bend over more than 90 degrees, so stuff needs picking up. A grabber is really good. Good luck, hope your mum recovers quickly.

Thank you so much, everyone, for your help, it really is appreciated. I'll keep you informed about how my mum does. I'm also going to suggest she joins the forum herself, since I know she is nervous about the surgery. Thanks again!

Hi there, I put together many tips and ideas in my own website. The address is in my personal info here ...

   https://patient.info/forums/profiles/rocketman-sg6uk-907025

and on the moderator's "useful resources" page at

   https://patient.info/forums/discuss/thr-useful-resources-487147

Best wishes

Graham - 🚀💃

hi metsa, 

warm welcome to this forum -

absolutely encourage your mum to come here - we share personal experiences, stories, tips, the do's and don't's , come in all stages and all ages -

in spite of all your love and dedication, unfortunately, you won't always (diplomatic?)be able to understand what she is going through ...

but hey, we do !!! and when you stay with us, you will too ...well, you know what I mean ...

so many great tips have already been given here -

giving both of you a warm big hug

renee

 

Hi Metsa

Are you in the UK and is your mum going to be an NHS patient? If so I can give you details of help that is available but not common knowledge.

Regards Polly