My Trips to the Hospital

Are you going to a medical facility, like Orthopaedic Associates of Muskegon, to have a total hip joint replacement? If so, you've probably decided to recover from the surgery in the familiar surroundings of your home. Before you head to the hospital, have someone help you get your home ready for an easier recovery. You'll appreciate the time you spent preparing your home after you are out of the hospital.

1. Move your bedroom to the first floor.

When you get home, you'll barely be steady with crutches or a walker and still be gaining your strength back. If your bedroom is not on the ground floor, move a mattress or futon to the first floor for a few weeks so you can avoid any stairs. If your laundry facilities are in the basement, have someone help you with laundry for a few weeks, as well.

2. Make a path through all of the rooms.

Clear a path through each room so you can easily get through them with your crutches or walker. If you are using a walker, ask your doctor which brand you will be using so that you can measure out pathways of that width if you have tables or other furniture in the way. You'll still be learning how to navigate through the house with them for a few days, so make it easier to get from room to room without having to navigate an obstacle course.

3. Pick up potential hazards.

Walk through the house and pick up or move anything that could potentially trip you as you maneuver your crutches or walker through it. This includes:

• trash cans
• magazine racks
• pet beds
• electrical cords
• throw rugs that can slip underneath you

4. Create rest areas throughout the house.

While you're gaining your strength back, you may find yourself needing a place to sit and rest before you continue through the house. Create little rest areas in the bedroom, dining room, and living room where you can sit down in a chair and rest for a few minutes. A chair and a small table with a water glass, tissues, and reading material may be all you need at these locations.

5. Make sure you have the right seating available.

Before you leave the hospital, your doctor will instruct you on some cautions you'll need to take at home after your hip replacement. Until the new hip joint has healed, there is a risk that you can overstress the joint, and even dislocate it, if you place it in an extreme angle. This could happen if you sit in a chair that is too low or one that lets you sink too deeply in it so that you have to lean far forward to get out of the chair. This can put your hip in an extreme angle while it's healing. Make sure the chairs you use at home are flat, firm, and high enough to allow you to sit down and get back up without leaning far forward.