Depending on the severity of what they are having done, surgery can be a stressful and draining experience for all concerned, especially for family members watching their loved one struggling to recover. Not only can this be a physically exhausting experience for patients, but mental well-being can start to diminish, making a recovery more and more elusive.
However, with some careful planning and preparations, you can give your loved one the love and support they need to speed things up and set you all on the right path again.
Be Present at Appointments
Often there is a lot of information to take in, both pre- and post-surgery, and it is always helpful to have a second pair of ears, as well as someone else asking relevant questions that the patient might otherwise forget. Especially after surgery, it is common for patients to feel tired and painful, and they may not be able to communicate as well as they usually do.
It is useful to have a list of questions written down for these encounters, covering topics such as medications, exercises, or how best to care for them.
Have Items Ready to Aid Their Recovery
The two most common issues to deal with immediately following surgery are pain and boredom. The hospital should be responsible for prescribing medications to help alleviate the pain; however, there are things you can do to make your loved one more comfortable. When immobile, patients can often suffer terrible back pain and sore points from lying still for long periods. Never has a mattress felt so hard. You can buy air mattresses, which are very effective at preventing pressure ulcers and bedsores as a result of immobility and can aid your loved one’s recovery immensely.
Books, audiobooks, podcasts, puzzles, movies, and shows are all excellent ways of helping them cope with the boredom of recovery and keep them mentally stimulated. Have all this ready before they go into surgery as your life as their carer may be too busy afterward.
Have Comfortable Clothing Ready
Make sure you have thought about comfortable clothing that will give access to the site of the surgery so the doctors can make the appropriate checks.
Have Snacks and Meals Prepared
Hospital food is notoriously unpleasant, so you may want to consider having snacks and meals ready to go. Cook in advance and freeze meals in containers that can be warmed up and taken to the hospital. Remember, food is medicine, so it is essential that your loved one still gets the appropriate nutrition.
Invest in Some Waterproof Bandages
A shower can often make a patient feel a lot brighter and better; however, it is usually essential that the site of the surgery remains dry; therefore, some waterproof bandages can make the entire experience a lot less stressful.
Beyond these things, a person recovering from surgery can experience feelings of loneliness and helplessness. Simply being present and supportive is the most crucial task that family members can undertake.
