If you’ve been hospitalized after an elective surgical procedure or a more unexpected event like a fall, the care you receive at the facility will kickstart your journey to recovery. However, there’s a good chance you’ll only spend a short time at the hospital, and the majority of your recovery and rehabilitation will take place once you’re back home. How you transition back home after you’ve been discharged from the hospital can set you up for success, or it can get your rehab off to a rocky start.
We want you to have a smooth transition back home, so in today’s blog, we share some tips for recovering at home after you’ve been discharged from a hospital or surgery center.
Discharging And Returning Home
As always, please remember that the following is general information, and for best results, you’ll want to follow the directions of your surgeon and care team. With that said, here’s some information that many patients find helpful when preparing to discharge and return home after surgery.
- Prepare For Your Return Ahead Of Time– This tip is really only helpful if you were hospitalized for an elective or similarly planned event. If you know you’re going to have surgery and may have some physical limitations upon your return, try to make life easier on your future self. Cook some healthy, easy to reheat meals, pick up tripping hazards, do the laundry and set up a space for yourself on the ground level if navigating stairs will be difficult for a bit. Try to set yourself up for success before you head in for surgery.
- Understand Your Medication and PT Recommendations – If you will be taking prescription painkillers after discharge, make sure your care team explains how to safely manage your medications. Prescription medications can lead to addiction or abuse if you’re not careful, so make sure you understand how to properly take your medication at the proper intervals. You’ll also want to have a clear understanding of your physical therapy recovery plan. There’s a high likelihood that you’ll either have to connect with a physical therapist at a clinic like OrthoRehab Specialists, or you’ll have some home-based exercises given to you to perform during your recovery. Again, it’s imperative that you understand what’s being asked of you from a PT standpoint and that you follow through on these exercises, because this will be what drives home functional recovery after an expected or unexpected hospitalization.
- Line Up Help Early– Don’t wait until the last minute to line up some help with discharge-related tasks if at all possible. Reach out to friends or family to ensure you have a ride home from the facility, and start planning if you’ll need some help around the house after you’re back home. The sooner you prepare, the easier it will be for others to plan for your discharge.
- Ask Questions– You receive a lot of information during your discharge evaluation, and at times it can be overwhelming. Please take a moment to ask questions or to get clarification on anything you don’t quite understand. You should have a clear understanding of your next steps and what’s expected of you once you’re discharged. If you don’t, be sure to consult with your care team before you leave the facility.
- Schedule Next Appointments – Finally, it can be helpful to set up your follow-up appointments or physical therapy sessions during the discharge period. Your care team knows when to expect you back for check-ups or how quickly they’ll want you to start physical therapy, so scheduling your appointments when you still have access to your team at the facility can ensure everything is scheduled as needed. Again, if you have any questions during this period, please ask!
Physical therapy is a key component for making a strong transition out of the hospital, so let us do what we can to get you back on your feet following a hospitalization. For more information, or for help with a different aspect of your rehab, reach out to the team at OrthoRehab Specialists today at (612) 339-2041.
PT of Costa Rican National Soccer Team for 2007 World Cup in Victoria, CAN. Clinical Instructor for University of Minnesota Doctor of Physical Therapy Affiliations
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