Surgery can be a scary situation to contemplate, both for you and for your elderly family member. Whether she’s having surgery that she’s been anticipating or an unexpected emergency surgery, it’s so important to be as prepared as possible to help her to heal. Having the right mindset going in and remembering that it’s okay to ask for what you and your senior need is helpful as well.
Try to Prepare a Bit Before Surgery
It helps if you and your elderly family member know as much as possible about her surgery and expected recovery time before it happens. That might mean doing a little research independently. If your elderly family member is part of any support groups devoted to her health concerns, that can help her to know what to expect, too. On the other hand, if this is an emergency surgery you may still feel like you’re scrambling.
Talk to Your Senior’s Doctor
Make sure that you ask questions of your senior’s doctor and her surgeon beforehand, especially if they’re separate people. Don’t feel bad for asking questions, even if it feels like you need to ask for clarification of the answers. The more that you and your senior understand, the calmer you will both feel about the experience.
Ask for Written Instructions for Anything That Doesn’t Make Sense
Your senior will receive written instructions when she’s discharged after her surgery. But if anything doesn’t make sense or you need further clarification, don’t feel bad for asking for those additional instructions in writing. There’s a lot to remember, and when you’re primarily concerned about your senior it’s easy to forget a detail here or there.
Line Up Assistance Right Away
Surgery is a big deal and unless you’ve got nursing experience yourself you might be worried about spotting problems or making sure that your elderly family member’s incision heals properly. That’s why lining up help from home health care providers as soon as possible can be a tremendous relief. Home health care providers have the skills to assist with wound care and to make sure that your senior is healing as well as her doctor expects her to heal.
Anything that you can do that allows your senior to rest and to heal after surgery is incredibly important. Having nutritious meals, time to rest, and the medical attention that she needs is all crucial and part of what home health care can assist in coordinating.