Creating A Healing Home Recovery Environment
Post-op, it’s now all about the recovery. We know the patient can’t wait to be discharged from the hospital with a clean bill of health. It has been shown that post-surgery patients recover just as quickly at home as those who remain in the hospital!
Here are 5 quick benefits of recovering at home:
Reduced risk of infections due to prolonged stays in a hospital
Ability to conveniently rejuvenate, restore and recover with the power of better sleep
Knowing that you're with your loved ones is a powerful motivator during the recovery process
The familiar home landscape provides comfort and a refuge. You don't have to go through it all alone in the hospital because you'll have your family.
Setting Up Your Home For A Quick Recovery
Your home may need minor adjustments for the sake of the patient’s comfort and well-being. The changes may include making things more accessible to the caregivers, doctors, nurses, physicians, and the patient. You may also have the patient stay on the ground floor of a multi-story home.
Preparing Well Ahead Of Time
Before the patient is ready to come home, ask the doctor to give you a heads up so that you have ample time to prepare your home for the return of your loved one. If the hospital stay was unplanned or an emergency, be sure to get help from other family members to prep the home.
Remember: you will NOT need EVERYTHING to bring the patient home from the hospital. Just focus on the essentials and have emergency numbers ready.
Home Readiness Essentials
The idea of replicating the hospital environment at home may sound intimidating or even impossible at first. It doesn’t have to be this way.
Here are a couple of ideas to help you keep the patient safe and comfortable during the recovery period.
1 - Make Sure Everything You Need Is Within Easy Reach
If you're living in a multi-story home or building, start organising things around so that they're within reach, either in one cabinet, closet, table or on the same floor of the building. If possible, set up a bedroom with a bathroom on the ground floor of the home.
Don’t forget to also place a table with mugs, cups, a jug of water, medication, and some food next to the patient’s bed.
Make sure everything you need is where the patient will spend the most time. If they need to access the fridge, the television, or the dining room, they can locate and use them without too much trouble.
2 - Stocking Up On Essential Supplies
Firstly, based on your conversations with the doctor or physician, create a list of essential items you will need for the patient.
Secondly, you will also need to stock up on canned or frozen food in case of emergencies, as well as shampoo, toilet paper, bandages, toothpaste, and other necessities.
Caring for a patient, you may not have as much time to go on grocery trips as much as you used to.
3 - Preparing for the Times You are not Around
Unless you will be around the patient 24/7 or have hired help, chances are, the patient will be alone at some point in time.
Prepare for those moments.
Either buy or make single meals that can be easily reheated during emergencies, put all utensils within easy reach, or place food and other supplies in a waist or shoulder level cupboard.
4 - Setting Up A Safe Bathroom
When it comes to the bathroom, it's a slippery slope. The patient will need something to raise the toilet seat height. Using something like a commode chair is an easy, quick hack.
Depending on the patient's condition, there may be a need to install safety bars or grab bars in the bathroom. The grab bars are important for patients who need or intend to use the bathtub. Sometimes, these bars make life easier for patients when sitting down and getting up from the toilet itself.
Another thing that may prove useful for the patient would be non-slip suction maps or rubber silicone decals placed onto the bathroom floor to prevent slips. Similar kinds of bath mats should also be placed outside the bathroom or tub.
For additional resources, check out NTUC Health's article titled 5 Tips To Prevent Falls At Home & How We Can Help
Other Tips For Patient's Home Recovery from the Hospital
DO keep all cords, wires, or strings hidden in corners that don't get in the way
Throw away throw rugs or old mats that have become slippery over time
Remove toys or other small items that cannot be easily seen
Fix uneven flooring
Place lights strategically throughout the house in case the patient needs to get out of the room or bed
Call Speedoc if you need help caring for your loved ones at home!
You may not have the energy or resources to care for the patient yourself. You may also not be in the position to hire a full-time nurse or caregiver to care for the recovering patient at home.
This is where Speedoc can be of help.
Our house call doctors and house call nurses are always a phone call or an app-tap away. And if you’re unsure, you can use Speedoc's doctor video consultation services to speak to and consult with our doctors about the patient’s condition before making a decision.
Contact Speedoc to Find Out More:
Tel: +65 6909 7799
Email: clinic.sg@speedoc.com
