Here?s what I did for my Mom?s release to my house: If the moderator thinks it?s too long or has already been covered feel free to edit.
#1. Clean the house at least a day before they come home. You want to not only prevent infections but any allergens that can bother them. The reason you need to do it ahead of time is vacuuming actually can kick up dust, chemicals can irritate lungs & eyes so you want plenty of time for it to air out.
Remember, they will be weak and more susceptible to irritants.
As you know by now coughing and sneezing can be awful.
I vacuumed the rugs and sprayed them down with febreeze allergen reducer.
I washed the hard floors and sprayed the furniture with Lysol. I wanted to make sure the place was as germ free as I could get it. I made sure there were new bed sheets etc. but that didn?t matter because she slept on the couch. Some people on this site say they have slept in their own bed right away so you need to prepare for it.
Sleeping:Pillows Pillows Pillows. I bought some of those temper-pedic pillows, some time she likes them sometimes not. The wedge that someone else posted sounds like a great idea.
I also cut up a temper-pedic mattress topper I bought from overstock.com $149.That has worked out very well for sitting.
If you have a reclining chair I?m told it?s great. I don?t. But I have an ottoman so she can put her legs up and raising the legs is very important.
Bathroom: I bought a toilet seat raiser with handles. You remove your standard seat and just put this one on top and it has a soft bracket that screws it tight. That was very important the first week home otherwise she would have needed assistance getting up and down. Also risk of falling is greater. I wish I had a shower stall but I have a regular tub. I bought her a shower chair and an anti-slip mat.
While showering the patient should probably use nothing but their hands over the incision site but I also bought ?Johnsons & Johnsons head to toe disposable wash cloths? for her to bathe with. They are clean; disposable, soft and were $3.99 for 14 of them.
Baby shampoo is a good idea too because she is a little wobbly and I didn?t want her to get soap in her eyes.
I ?borrowed? (with out the hospital?s knowledge) one of the pads they had under her in the hospital. In case of an ?accident?. She had diarrhea when she left the hospital. I?m sure you could buy them or find something similar in a surgical place but it was a last minute thought for me so I had to do what I did. I also bought bathroom wipes.
I also bought her some panty shields if she had a problem and she wore them for the first week home.
Feet: You want to make sure they do not slip and fall.
If the patient has swelling in their legs (something that is quite common I?m told) they may need slippers that are larger. My Mom kept the slip free socks they gave her in the hospital and I wash them every other day. I wish I had thought of that ahead of time and bought a few pair of those. They can?t be expensive and they are comfortable and give traction. Ordinary house slippers may not be as good. For going outside she is wearing my Crocs (those funny looking foam boat shoes/slippers with holes and bright colors). They are light, and slip-resistant, and easy to get on. So she wears them now until her swelling subsides. I?ll say it again, You do not want them to slip and fall.
Phones: Get cordless phone for the patient so thy can always hacve it handy.I also bought a phone ($70) that has an emergency pendant. If she falls or has trouble and I?m not there she can hit it and an alarm will go off for 15 seconds. Then it dials numbers you program in it. That made me feel more comfortable going outside. When she gets to go home to her own home I?m getting her one of those medic alert services.
Visitors: Friends and family attention is great. But the first week especially the patient is probably going to be exhausted. Let the person rest when they want to rest.
Also, do not let any one expose them to colds or viruses. If in doubt, tell them to stay out!
Catching a cold after surgery is like pouring salt into the wound and can even be life threatening.
Speaking of salt: Limit it in the house. Your doctor will tell you to stay away from sodium. There?s too much of it in most food so you should learn a little about how to avoid too much.
Food: They need to eat, unfortunately they may not have much of an appetite.
Our doctors said give her just about anything but avoid salt. She needs her appetite back. Try to get plenty of protein. They need protein and carbs. Read up or ask questions about foods that will help. More small meals will be better than fewer large ones.
Medicines: Their meds may be different after surgery. Make sure you can understand what their new medicine requirements are. I wrote it out in my computer and printed it out. I also marked special requirements next to them, like how many times a day, with or without meals etc. I also put them in a daily pill box. I got one that has am and pm sections this way I only need to assort the meds once a week and I won?t screw it up. ?As needed? type meds such as pain pills of course don?t get put in there.
Walkers: If your patient needs a walker make sure there are clear paths to everywhere they need to go. Also, if you?re looking at walkers to buy, I bought the ?Winnie Walker? It?s like a trike and real versatile; here?s a site that has one;
www.winniewalker.com