Surgery is tough, but what’s tougher is Companion post-operative care.
The recovery road of surgery can be quite daunting and worrisome, especially if we’re talking about the elderly. Not only do they require painstaking care, but they also need companion care at that time.
This is mainly because of the fact that seniors heal at a comparatively slower rate than others, and are always more at risk of other possible complications post-surgery. But, there are ways how paid companion care for the elderly can promote faster healing, so the elderly can recover post-surgery in no time.
Wondering whether paid companion care can help with the post-operative care of your elderly loved one?
We have created this post to tell you about how paid companion care for the elderly can help with post-operative care:
Companionship and emotional support
Surgery isn’t easy for anyone. Be it the elderly getting the surgery themselves, or their close family members. Moreover, post-surgery isn’t any different. It can easily trigger emotions like sadness and hopelessness.
This is when a companion carer will prevent all of this from happening. Whether it’s grabbing the elderly’s favorite magazines, books, recordings, music, or even watching their favorite movies or playing their favorite board games, a companion carer will always keep the elderly patient up to the mood.
Because seniors who have gotten surgery a while back will need to rest most of the time and remain under observation, they can indeed start feeling isolated and lonely. This is totally natural for them to do so, as they are restricted from going outdoors, or even continuing certain activities or social interactions until they fully recover.
Therefore, this is when companion care would greatly help. A companion caregiver will make sure to be with the elderly at all times, to ensure they never feel lonely or isolated ever again.
Confusion, which is usually referred to as postoperative delirium, is also quite common post-surgery, especially in the elderly. This is a temporary condition in which senior patients might feel confused about their surroundings, where they are, and might also feel disoriented and have temporary memory loss. All this can be extremely frustrating for the elderly alone. However, a companion caregiver will ensure to make everything comfortable for the elderly and be patient and supportive throughout this time period.
Help with daily activities and tasks
Because the elderly will be restricted from continuing with their daily activities post-operation, they will definitely need assistance with their everyday tasks. This includes personal care, just as bathing, showering, personal grooming, dressing up, oral hygiene, toileting, and so on.
They might also need their meals planned out and prepared according to their special deity and nutritional requirements. It is important to know that patients who received surgery need to follow specific diets until they fully recover.
Hence, a companion carer will ensure to take all these requirements into account. Not only this, but a companion carer can also carry out simple and basic errands around the house, such as laundry, dusting, and vacuuming.
Accompany them to hospitals, doctor appointments, and check-ups
Having a thorough check-up by your doctor is imperative post-operation. A companion caregiver will ensure to accompany the elderly with every doctor visit and appointment.
This is most needed when the elderly have memory problems or are often forgetful to keep track of doctor visits. Also, a companion caregiver is also helpful in this case when the elderly have a hard time moving around themselves.
Here is when the carer will make sure to help them travel to and from the doctor’s clinic or hospital. Also, the companion carer will carefully listen to the elderly’s doctor and make notes of all important points in case the elderly is forgetful.
Make everything comfortable for them
Care and comfort is the main goal in post-operative care. As mentioned earlier, the recovery process can be rather slow for seniors, and could even be frustrating for them as well.
This is when these seniors should be given the utmost care so that. They don’t start feeling stressed out or frustrated.
Companion carers will ensure to keep them as comfortable as they can. Whether it’s making them sit on a comfy sofa, or tucking them in bed. In case the elderly receive a knee or leg surgery, the doctor might have prescribed it to keep them elevated. Therefore, a companion carer will make sure to take care of all of this.
Grabbing every post-operative need for them
There are certain items that will need to be purchased post-surgery. Depending upon the type of surgery, it is quite common to get wheelchairs, crunches, compression socks. And leg braces, prescribed by their doctor. In this case, a hired companion caregiver will make sure to get all of this for the elderly before they come back home.