Should Your Dad Go Home the Same Day He Had Surgery?
Once your dad has had surgery, when should he go home? With many procedures, surgical teams will perform the surgery and send patients home the same day. Is that the best? It often comes down to the support your dad has once he’s home.
The benefits of recovering at home are plentiful. First, he’s out of a noisy hospital ward where the smell of chemicals may be making him uncomfortable. Second, he has a bed and chair that he feels comfortable in, which enables him to get enough sleep.
Pay Attention to the Surgical Instructions
Home Care After Hospitalization Northbrook, IL: Surgery and Seniors
To heal quickly and successfully, your dad needs to listen to his surgical team’s home care instructions. He is likely going to be told not to lift anything heavy, to use a combination of ibuprofen and acetaminophen, if allowed, for pain, and to avoid strenuous activities for a week or two.
He may be given a kit of pressure bandages, tweezers, and small scissors and told when the time is up, he can remove stitches on his own, especially if he had minor surgery. Even if he has the tools to remove them, he may not be comfortable. Post-hospital care services ease his stress and give you peace of mind if you can’t be with him every hour of the day.
Have a Nurse Checking His Vital signs
If your dad’s surgeon prescribed pain medications, he should have a nurse check his blood pressure and pulse periodically. A check of his oxygen saturation levels is also a good idea. If he’s having issues with the power of the medications, the dosage can be adjusted during a conversation between the nurse and your dad’s surgeon.
Wound Care Is Important
Your dad has an incision. His instructions might be to keep it dry and covered with a pressure bandage for 48 hours before removing the bandage. At that point, he has to carefully clean it, pat it dry, and dress it with a clean bandage. While it’s uncovered, he has to check for signs of infection.
If you’re not used to how incisions look, it can be alarming. What’s normal may look red and puffy to you, leaving you to worry that it’s infected. Adding antibiotic creams is not always recommended. A nurse can take care of his healing incision and identify if there is a problem.
Should an infection occur, the nurse is there to administer IV antibiotics if that’s what his doctor recommends. He can often avoid returning to the hospital.
Medication Administration Can Take Place at Home
What if your dad needs IV or injectable medications? If he’s on powerful pain medications that require careful dosing, his nurse is in his home and can take care of it. He’s not having to go to a clinic for the IV or injection and then go back home.
Arrange Post-Hospital Care Services
The best way to ensure your dad’s needs are cared for at home is by scheduling home care after hospitalization. He should have nurses there to monitor his pain, healing progress, and vital signs for a few days. Talk to his surgical team about his post-hospital care instructions and schedule the services they recommend.
If you or an aging loved one are considering Home Care After Hospitalization in Northbrook, IL, contact the caring staff at Companion Services of America today at (847) 943-3786. Our home care service area includes Northbrook, Highland Park, Deerfield, Glenview, Buffalo Grove, Evanston, Des Plaines, Skokie, Lake Forest, Wilmette and the surrounding areas.
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