Surgery Recovery Tips for Seniors

Does your elderly loved one have surgery scheduled soon? If this is the case, it is important to learn about the recovery process and what you can do to help. Hiring senior home care providers can assist with this process. The surgery recovery tips noted here today can help your elderly loved one to heal and recover.

Managing Pain

With any surgery, there is going to be some level of pain during the recovery process. Of course, there are certain surgeries that cause more pain than others. For example, a knee replacement is likely going to be more painful than a laparoscopic appendectomy. Either way, it is crucial that you or senior home care providers help your elderly loved one to manage their pain. Some of the ways this can be done include;

• Encouraging them to move around some (but not too much)
• Having them use heating pads and ice packs
• Reminding them to take pain medication
• Taking them to the doctor if their pain is not under control

Sometimes, the pain is just a sign of recovery. However, increased, severe pain may be a sign that something is wrong that requires medical attention.

There are some senior citizens who don’t like to speak of their pain. It is almost like they believe it is a sign of weakness. Be sure your elderly loved one knows it is okay to let you or their senior home care providers know if they experience pain.

Getting Enough Rest

Part of the recovery process is getting rest. The body needs sleep and rest to fully recover. The reason for this is that the body regenerates healthy cells and repairs damage when the body is at rest.

If you feel that your elderly loved one is up and doing too much, you can remind them to take a rest. If they think there is just too much to do around the house or with other tasks, you or a senior home care provider can help out, so they have less to do.

Last, but not least, when it comes to rest in recovery it is important to remind your elderly loved one that they can’t recover quickly if they aren’t resting enough.

Eating Healthier

During your elderly loved one’s recovery process, they need to eat as healthy as possible. This doesn’t mean they can’t have any sweets or desserts. However, it is vital to make sure they know the healthier they eat, the better and quicker their body can recover. Studies show that people who are recovering from surgery that eat healthier have a faster recovery process than those who don’t. Some of the foods that your elderly loved one should be eating during their recovery include:

• Nuts
• Salmon
• Blueberries
• Cranberries
• Bananas

If needed, you or a senior home care provider can make recipes with these foods in them for your elderly loved one. In addition, if it is needed, you can always have your elderly loved one talk with a nutritionist to see what other foods would be good to eat during their recovery from a specific type of surgery.

You and Your Loved One’s Senior Home Care Aides can Use These Recovery Tips

Does your elderly loved one have surgery coming up? If so, you should do your best to be prepared to help them recover quicker and better. The tips noted above are a great start for helping this to happen for your elderly loved one.

Sources: https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/servicesandsupport/surgery-recovery-and-rehabilitation

If you or an aging loved one are considering Senior Home Care Services in the Overland Park KS area, please contact the caring staff at Elder Care of Kansas City, today. Proudly serving Jackson, Clay, Platte, and Cass Counties in Missouri as well as Johnson and Wyandotte Counties in Kansas for over 30 years. Call us at 816-333-3322.

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Kevin Edwards

Owner at Elder Care of Kansas City

Kevin’s life and the lives of his immediate family have been impacted by caregivers – either as a patient or a caregiver - for as long as he can remember.He watched his mother take care of his grandmother until her death at the age of 97.Five years later, his father passed from a neurological disorder that was subsequently confirmed as Lewy Body Dementia.In 2007, his wife, Lori, was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis.The symptoms of Lori’s disease required Kevin to hire a caregiver during the periods of her relapses.

Prior to purchasing Elder Care, Kevin spent over 20 years in the health insurance industry.In his most recent position, he was in a financial operations role with Humana where he worked with doctors, nurses and other health professionals developing programs to keep Humana members healthy.Their focus on primary care and medication adherence improved the lives of thousands of seniors in Kansas City and the surrounding area.

Kevin and his wife, Lori, have three children.Kevin has Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the University of Missouri.

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