Caring for Someone After Knee Replacement

For many people, knee replacement is a life-changing procedure that eliminates chronic pain and restores full function in the knee joint. While the procedure is extremely safe and has a very high success rate, the recovery process can still be challenging, particularly during the first few weeks after surgery. The good news is that as you heal, you’ll quickly regain the ability to perform many routine daily activities. But most knee replacement patients find it very helpful to have someone help care for them during these early weeks of recovery.

If you’re caring for a loved one who has recently undergone knee replacement, it’s important to have patience since your loved one will likely be tired and in pain. They may also experience frustration over their inability to perform many routine daily activities on their own. But it’s important to understand that your assistance can be invaluable during the initial phase of recovery after knee replacement, both in terms of helping them with their daily needs and in facilitating the proper conditions to begin attacking their rehab properly.

Knowing what to expect as a caregiver for someone who has just undergone knee replacement is critical to ensuring you provide the assistance your loved one needs. The following overview will help you set your loved one up for a comfortable and successful recovery.

Preparing the Home Prior to Surgery

It’s important that your loved one has an ideal space to rest and recover after surgery, so you’ll want to help them prepare the home ahead of time. When their home is set up properly in advance, it will help ensure a smooth recovery. The following steps will help provide your loved one with a comfortable and safe recovery space.

Create a Temporary Resting Spot on the First Floor

It can be challenging to climb stairs immediately following knee replacement. If your loved one’s bedroom is on an upstairs level of the house, you should help them set up a recovery room on the first floor. This space should contain everything your loved one will need during their initial phase of recovery:

• A bed that isn’t too high or low off the ground
• Pillows for elevating the lower leg
• A comfortable couch to relax on during the day
• A bedside urinal if there isn’t a bathroom nearby
• Ice packs for the knee
• A cell phone charger and easy access to an outlet
• Comfortable sleepwear
• Comfortable shoes that are safe for walking around the house
• Extra bandages for changing wound dressings
• Lights or lamps with easy controls nearby
• Toiletries

Make the Home Safer

Moving around is often challenging right after knee replacement, and it’s important to take steps to remove rugs, unnecessary clutter and any objects that may potentially create a tripping hazard.

Secure All Necessary Assistive Equipment

Your loved one will most likely need some assistive equipment during the early phases of knee replacement recovery, and it’s helpful to have all these items in the house prior to surgery. This may include a walker or cane. In some instances, you may also want to consider getting bathroom aids for your loved one, such as a raised toilet seat, a handheld shower head and shower chair.

Prepare Meals in Advance

Your loved one will need to rest and elevate their leg after surgery, and they won’t be able to stand in the kitchen to cook meals. It’s best to prepare some meals in advance that are nutritious and easy to heat up. Meals that can get microwaved or warmed in the oven work best. This will make eating as easy as possible, especially if you won’t always be around to help cook during mealtimes.

Your Role on the Day of Surgery

Your loved one will need a ride to and from the hospital on the day of surgery. In some instances, knee replacement patients will spend the night in the hospital or get discharged to an outpatient rehab facility, but in most cases, they will come home the day of surgery. Since your loved one won’t be able to drive for a while after surgery, providing transportation will be one of the most important ways you can help.

As your loved one’s post-surgery caregiver, there are several other items that will need your attention on the day of surgery. These include:

• Picking up medications – You will need to pick up any prescription and over-the-counter medications recommended by the surgeon.
• Stay nearby to assist as needed – While your loved one will need to get plenty of rest after arriving home following surgery, they shouldn’t be left alone. It’s important to have someone stay with your loved one the night after surgery in case they need help moving around or require any other type of assistance.

Caring for Your Loved One After Surgery

The first few weeks after knee replacement surgery are typically the most challenging time of the recovery process, and your loved one will likely need assistance with a variety of items, including:

• Medications and wound care
• Household chores
• Medical appointments
• Comfort and emotional support

Help with Medications and Wound Care

It’s critical that your loved one takes all medications as directed by their knee surgeon. As your loved one’s care giver, helping them stay on top of their medication regimen will be an important part of the care you provide. This includes making sure your loved one takes all medications on schedule and renewing any prescriptions as needed. When you pick your loved one up at the hospital on the day of surgery, make sure you talk to a member of the surgical team to review all medication instructions, and always ask questions if you’re unclear about the specifics of the medication regimen.

Caring for the wound is extremely important to prevent infection, and you may need to help your loved one with this task. This may involve changing dressings and picking up additional bandages as needed. Whenever you change the surgical dressing, make sure to check the wound for signs of infection such as redness, swelling or pussy discharge.

Help with Household Chores

During the first few weeks of knee replacement recovery, your loved one will have a variety of activity restrictions associated with standing for extended periods of time, bending or stretching. This can make it difficult to complete many common household chores such as preparing meals, cleaning the house or doing laundry. In addition, your loved one will need help with shopping until their mobility restrictions are lifted. If you are unable to take these chores on yourself, it will be important to arrange for someone else to come to the house to help with them.

Pet care is another item that will require assistance. Pets are valued members of our family and can be great companions, especially while recovering from surgery, but they require constant care. It’s likely that your loved one won’t be physically able to properly care for their pets during the early phases of recovery after knee replacement, so this important task will typically fall to their caregiver. Ask your loved one to write out detailed instructions regarding all pet care requirements so that you will know what to do in the event your loved one is asleep during feeding times.

Help with Medical Appointments

Your loved one will have multiple follow-up visits with our surgical team after knee replacement, as well as regular physical therapy appointments. It’s critical they attend all of these appointments to facilitate a proper recovery. Missing an important medical appointment can result in setbacks or other complications.

In general, it takes four to six weeks before your loved one will be able to resume driving after knee replacement, so they will need someone to take them to these appointments. If you’re unable to help with the driving, make sure to arrange for alternate transportation.

Help with Comfort and Emotional Support

Recovery after knee replacement can be both physically and mentally draining. It’s common to feel frustrated during the early stages of recovery due to pain or difficulty performing daily activities. Your loved one will likely need some emotional support and encouragement during the first few weeks of recovery to help them stay on track and ensure they maintain a positive attitude.

Helping your loved one stay comfortable will play an important role in keeping their spirits up. This may involve encouraging them to get proper rest and helping them get comfortable at bedtime. It can also involve helping them get refills of water, providing snacks when they’re hungry, or assisting with other items that may improve their overall comfort.

Take Care of Yourself

Providing care for your loved one after knee replacement can be an all-consuming task, and it’s easy to neglect your own wellbeing. This can lead to burnout and increased levels of stress. Always make sure to take time out to care for yourself. Don’t neglect meals. Build in breaks in your care time so that you can have some much-needed alone time to enjoy your hobbies and take care of important items in your own life. Don’t be afraid to ask other family members for help, especially if you’re feeling overwhelmed.

Raising the Bar for Knee Surgery Outcomes on the Western Slope

If you or a loved one is considering knee replacement, it’s critical to work with a surgical team that can deliver exceptional patient outcomes and restore a pain-free life. At Colorado Advanced Orthopedics, we’ve been raising the bar for knee surgery outcomes on the Western Slope since our clinic opened in 2020. With a team of the finest board-certified, fellowship trained orthopedic surgeons along the Western Slope, we’re able to provide individuals in our rural area with access to levels of patient care that are typically only found in metropolitan areas.

Our knee surgeon, Dr. Kevin Borchard, has performed thousands of knee replacement procedures and has consistently achieved surgical outcomes that exceed industry standards. Dr. Borchard’s track record of success is one of the main reasons why Colorado Advanced Orthopedics was named to the Healthgrades list of Top 100 Hospitals for Joint Replacement in the United States.

Contact us today to schedule an appointment. Colorado Advanced Orthopedics serves patients in Meeker, the White River Valley, Grand Junction and throughout the Western Slope.