Hip Replacement
Hi
Im going in to hospital this friday for my hip replacement at last... does anyone have any ideas what i should get for helping me at home (help aids )
Bryan
Comments
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They should provide you with any big stuff you may need like a zimmer, toilet riser etc.
small comforts you might want to get, comfy none slip slippers that are kick on/off able, ice pack for freezer against swelling, a thermos flask so you can make up a load of tea and carry it back in a bag is easier then managing a cup when on crutches. a stool so you can put legs up easily
easy to cook food - you might not want to be faffing with tricky stuff so load the freezer with easy. dry shampoo so less pressure to get into shower before ready.
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Hi @Sullee Check out my posts in "Hip Replacement Tips" which is the "Say Hello" section of this forum. I had a hip replacement operation 10 weeks ago and found a number of things to be useful in making life easier and which enabled me to be more independent. A raised toilet seat with frame was one of my best buys - far better than the raised toilet seat the hospital gave me. Second best buy was an easy grabber.
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Hi @Sullee I had my hip replaced at the beginning of September. At my pre-op, a list of aids was suggested, but nothing was actually provided other than the crutches I came home with. It seems to vary a lot by hospital, so don’t make assumptions, ask.
I have copied and pasted the below from what I wrote three weeks after surgery.
“I have found a number of aids useful. Most important was to get a comfortable chair at a suitable height, a booster cushion for dining chairs, and a raised toilet seat with handles. A long looped resistance band was useful for helping lift the operated leg in and out of bed in the first few days. My husband has found a ‘Rolly’, a continuous tube of ribbed silicone, helpful for getting compression socks on and off. A long handled shoe horn / dressing stick, a long handle for a razor, picking handles, a sock aid, and a turning circle for the car seat have also been useful. A wedge shaped cushion to put between my knees at night has been essential. I also got a perching stool but haven’t found I needed it as I was soon able to get around the kitchen on one crutch and stand quite well. It has however enabled me to return to volunteering at parkrun.”
If I was going through this again, I wouldn’t bother with the perching stool (I ended up donating it to a local charity) or the booster cushion (I found ordinary flat cushions more comfortable). The turning circle for the car could have just been a plastic bag. The picking handles were more or less useless as they couldn’t handle any weight, I did better with a pair of barbecue tongs. A dressing gown belt would also work as a leg lifter. The rest I would use again.
3 months on I am free of all aids.
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Like any major surgery its worrying to hear that patients are sent home without first having a OT occupational therapist visit the house to assess the suroundings where you live. (this could well be the norm now as policys have changed so much over the years and you may have to arrange and pay for it all yourself).
my THR was back in 1996 and its still going strong. luckily it was arranged for a OT to visit after my last orthopeadic appt before op and they were great. i got hand rail up stairs with grab handle at top. raised toilet seat which is a must as you must not bend hip more than 90 degrees and as as im over 6 ft its a must. grab handles around bath/shower. raised legs for comfy chair. helping hand to pick things up of ground.
tbh with the backlog mayhem going on in the nhs thanks to covid it seems to be overlooked or even forgotten about so a gentle reminder at your appointment is well worth it by just asking will my house be assessed before my op. if you dont have any more appointments i would ring your gp on monday to ask will these things be checked before you have the op or will i be sent home to fend for myself.
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