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What is life like RIGHT after joint replacement? After a few days in the hospital, you will have one of two choices: You will either go to inpatient rehabilitation for a week or more, or you will go straight home. If you were in fairly good condition prior to surgery and have help at home, then home is usually the preferred option (better food, more privacy, quieter). If you don’t fit the previous criteria then you are a candidate for inpatient rehab.
Recovery is much quicker than it was 10 years ago. However, no two cases are the same. Your recovery depends on factors such as: your health, age, previous function, type of surgery, and how long you’ve been in pain. In most cases, the longer you have been in pain, have had an altered gait and weakness, the longer your recovery will be (a good argument for NOT waiting until the last possible moment to have the surgery).
Whether you go directly home from the hospital or from inpatient rehab, your MD most likely will order homecare. Dependent on your medical needs determined by your MD, a homecare nurse or PT will go out to your house the very next day after your discharge to begin homecare services. The nurse or PT will assess the incision, discuss medications and side effects, take vital signs and teach you about the signs of infection and blood clots. If the nurse admitted you to services then the physical therapist will come out the following day to assess your mobility status and safety in your house. A safety assessment means looking for fall hazards, and suggesting appropriate assistive devices- such as a cane, crutches, shower bench, etc. The therapist will begin you on a range of motion and strengthening program, discuss pain reduction techniques, positioning, precautions, and monitor the incision site. A progressive gait program will also be part of your treatment plan. The therapist will also assess ongoing for any nursing needs. The physical therapist and nurse will be in close communication with your doctor regarding your progress.
The home physical therapist will work with you to set reasonable goals. These include good balance, strength, range of motion, normal gait, decreased post surgical swelling, and decreased pain. In addition, you will need to be able to get in and out of a car, get in and out of bed easily, and probably go up and down a few steps. All of these goals serve to get you out of the house to out-patient physical therapy, like that provided at Moore. These days, that can happen pretty quickly.
The beauty of homecare, is that it is in the privacy of your own home. Appointments will be as long as necessary to work toward attaining goals. The frequency of visits will be dependent on your needs but usually range from 5 to 3 times for the first 2 to 3 weeks and taper down as you improve. You will get one-on-one therapy without distractions, and custom-designed to fit your needs. All insurances cover some amount of homecare, but most require that you be “homebound”. This loosely means it is difficult for you to get in and out of your house. If you find yourself meeting a friend for lunch or doing errands, you are probably no longer “homebound” and insurance will no longer continue to cover rehab in the home. That is when you know it is time for out-patient physical therapy.
Care is always provided with a multidisciplinary approach to meet the patient needs and achieve positive outcomes. Homecare provides in-depth education to provide the patient with tools to continue with their care needs at an independent level. The ultimate goals of homecare are for the patient to be safe and as independent as possible in their home and re-enter the community as needed. In many cases rehab patients may be progressed to an outpatient setting like Moore to continue to achieve the highest level of functioning possible.
For assistance in chosing a homecare facility, please contact us.