Receiving any type of transplant is a serious surgery that requires adequate recovery time as well as continual monitoring of how the body is adjusting to the transplant. At the beginning stages of the process, right after the surgery, your loved one was most likely in a hospital environment recovering where he had nurses and doctors around the clock that he could buzz and get assistance with just about anything at any time of the day. Now it’s time to head home, and while there is always great relief to returning to the comfort of home, there can also be a bit of trepidation and concern about how your loved one will manage. At first, your loved one will need a lot of help and monitoring, and a trained hospital to home transition care provider can be the perfect resource for him.
Hospital to Home Transition Care Can Help
Sometimes, family members or friends are unavailable to help someone as they return home from a major surgery such as a lung transplant. Relationships, distance, and even space can make it impossible for family members to step away from their daily lives to help the patient get settled back into his home and take care of himself as he heals. If this is the case for your loved one, you might want to consider having a professional hospital to home transition care team assist with that transition.
Five Early Steps in Home Recovery from a Lung Transplant
Rest, rest, and rest some more. Your loved one should be comfortable and secure enough to rest as much as his body requires. It’s during those resting times that his body does the most healing. Resting may require him to not worry about making meals, or walking the dog. A caring professional trained in hospital to home transition can help him rest while they do the work.
Walk, but don’t lift or strain. Learning how to exercise safely is important as your loved one heals. He should get up every day and attempt to walk around a bit. He might need a bit of support from someone since he will be in a weakened state, but walking will help prevent pneumonia as well as constipation. On the other hand, strenuous activities like vacuuming, carrying groceries, or lifting big bags of kitty litter should all be avoided so he doesn’t strain the area around the lung transplant.
Avoid baths for two weeks. Showers are okay but if your loved one struggles with balance or weakness, he may need a shower chair to sit on as he showers or he may need help getting in and out of the shower.
Care for the incision. The area should be washed, dried, and rebandaged each day. If your loved one needs help, his home care provider can help him properly care for the area. Your loved one should also follow the doctor’s orders for breathing exercises, as well as protect his incision by using a pillow when coughing or taking deep breaths.
Don’t neglect follow-up care. Because of the complications of transplant surgery, your loved one needs to make it to all of his follow-up care appointments as well as be aware of the symptoms that his body may be rejecting the implant or that infection has begun. An extra pair of eyes taking care of him can make sure nothing gets overlooked.
If you or an aging loved one are considering Hospital to Home Transition Services in Plainview NY, please get in touch with the caring staff at Star Multi Care today. Call (631) 424-7827
Star Multi Care is a Trusted Home Care Agency serving Long Island and in NYC including Dix Hills, Floral Park, Great Neck, Huntington, Manhasset, Massapequa, Northport, Plainview, Rockville Center, Stonybrook, Suffolk County, Nassau County, and Queens County.
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