Hip replacement advice

The physio will get you to climb a flight of stairs before discharge so he will be able to but 6 flight will have to be done slowly and he will probably resort to using his unoperated side step by step. It is certainly doable but he will struggle as would I. I'm 4mths from our from hip surgery but only have one flight to do in our house.

Sorry for typos

I don't see how he's going to manage on a day to day basis by himself. What do you think Tanith? No family. It sounds mean but I can see myself going to help for a few days and then finding I can't leave. It happened to me before with a relatives heart operation.

I agree with tanith but long term it is not ideal.

He can have on line deliveries- the fellows will thank him for that, but long term he really needs to move.

He will just have had major surgery and will feel very tired so if he could do one flight I think that he would be too tired to do the remainder. This is something he should really tell his consultant before embarking on surgery.

You would not have to stay in his flat, maybe pop your head around the door x2 day for a few days. He must be prepared with food in the fridge and freezer and a few microwaveable meals for handiness because of the general tiredness, having had major surgery.

Oh I didn't say I live a 4 hr train journey away. Driving takes anything from 3hrs to 6hrs depending on the M25!

It will be very difficult, if not impossible IMO. Especially on a regular basis. Not just going up and down, but the risk of falling.
Encourage him to get advice from medical staff.
He should be searching for a ground floor appt.

I have had 2 hip replacements. I was fit, and recovered well. In your friend's shoes (and assuming no financial issues) this is what I would do:
First of all discuss with relevant health professionals, explaining the situation. Exact support does vary with area.
I am assuming he lives alone.

before going in, ensure that the home is well set up with correct height chairs, loo seat etc. and day-to-day items accessible.

I would book into a nice nursing home (or hotel) where he can be looked after for a week. In that time he can concentrate on rehabilitation, do physio exactly as recommended, and not end up doing things awkwardly because there is no alternative (my own theory is that doing things awkwardly is a big cause of problems). he can gradually increase stairs day-by-day.

Then go home, knowing that he can do stairs. It will be fairly slow at first. Ensure that the friend / taxi collecting has a suitable seat.

Arrange deliveries, as suggested, and use some ready meals. Standing for prolonged periods, and the 'twisting' often involved in cooking can be harmful at first. Gradually increase this.
Small top-up shops can be done using a backpack.

Get a cleaner for 2 weeks at this point (or, a good time to have a good friend to stay!)

At about 3-4 weeks, assuming all goes well, normal life can largely resume, it's just extra strengthening that's needed.

This is based on my experience, and should be taken in that spirit.

Thanks. That's what I think. Maybe he'll listen to Gransnet if he won't listen to me!!

The last post was to Tricia. I will also tell him what you have said Nannarose. Then he must think hard about what he will do.

Good ad vice Nanarose.

I broke my hip six months ago and had a complete replacement. Luckily we live in a bungalow, but even so the first six weeks were pretty difficult and I certainly wouldn't have wanted to go upstairs never mind down! You are very restricted as to movement for three months as your new hip can dislocate if you bend, twist, stretch. You can't get into a bath without mechanical assistance, loo seat needs to be a certain height, the chairs you sit in, the bed you sleep in have to be a certain height. I certainly wouldn't have wanted to manage on my own for at least six weeks.

My DH had hip replacement 5 months ago. He could do steps 24 hours post op but 6 flights of stairs a big ask! It also depends on his level of fitness before op! As others have said he will need raised chair and appropriate bed level plus toilet seat. This should all be arranged before op. Needs crutches for a few weeks so carrying drinks and so on can be difficult. A neck bag is a good idea, not for drinks! I would say from experience my DH needed help preparing meals/drinks and so on for about 6wks. Walk in shower with stool & handrail also useful. Shower over bath not recommended. Risk of dislocation greatest in first 6 wks. If he could go somewhere to convalesce for a few weeks would be best bet.

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I had a hip replacement and was taught to manage the stairs the second day after the op. We live in a house and I had no problem although I went down in the morning and upk in the evening, not in between. If your friend lives on his own his main problems will be
A) you must not bend so he cannot pick up anything from the floor or get anything out of a low cupboard
b) he will need someone to help change his surgical stockings. If you can't bend, you can't reach your feet.

Occupational health should be assessing his home. We were given
A raised loo seat with rails
A bath board
A perching stool for the kitchen (it has arms)
A high, firm armchair

But be warned - they don't take anything back, and you have to supply your own walking stick and crutches.

Good luck with getting help. When mine was done 4 years ago, district nurse visited as did physio. Needed a lot of support to begin with (and had made sure I was as fit as poss beforehand).
DH had his done beg April and, sadly, it all went wrong and he needed 2 more ops. It IS routine major surgery but can have problems so you need to plan for the worst and hope for the best.
He will definitely need someone there to begin with for several weeks not just one.
Hospital need to know exact situation but not sure how much help can be offered these days. A live in help/friend/relative would be best-who is willing to help with whatever needs to be done.

It seems to me on reading these posts that a HR is more difficult to get over than a knee replacement.
I had a TKR last August and made a good revovery quite quickly. My H cant look after me but we were fine after about 10 days with no help apart from shopping.
My hip on the same side is giving me lots of trouble but I really don't know how we would cope if it needs replacing. I think live in help would be the only answer.

I'm now 3 months on from Hip Replacement and slowly improving each week. However there is no way I could have managed on my own the first 10 days. I'm no wimp, but trying to carry hot drinks etc is impossible while you are on crutches the first two days.
However after ten days or so, I could do so much more, and virtually looked after myself. The pick up stick was a terrific help.

I'm now six months along the line from a THR, and am nearly back to normal! Just stiffness in the morning and getting out of an armchair can pull the top of the leg. I can now drive, shower, cut my own toe nails ((recently!)dress, put on sox and shoes, tie shoe laces and bend to pick things up without the pickup stick! Its been a long journey and one I definitely don't want to repeat! I most certainly wouldn't have wanted to manage on my own for the first six weeks!

Thanks for the replies. I have had a serious talk with my friend and he has realised that he needs to rethink his situation, maybe moving to a ground floor flat before surgery. Fortunately he still has enough mobility to carry on for a while.
I was worried that I would go to help for a week or so and find that I couldn't leave and from your replies that would have been likely. I went to help a relative for a week after a major heart operation a few years ago and ended up staying three months because she didn't recover well and others who might have given help were sensible enough to stay away!
I'm not one of natures nurturers and carers. I didn't want to do that again!

Thanks for updating us, hope all goes well.

Glad your friend is thinking of moving to a ground floor flat. His home should be assessed by social services and equipment he needs delivered and fitted before he goes into hospital. Mine included extra steps at front and back doors, a bath step and stool, bath handles, and a loo frame, I was issued a commode but it wasn't really necessary. They also look at your bedroom and kitchen and suggest any adjustments to help you cope.
The hospital physios should have plenty of advice for after he's home. I had a practice to see whether I'd manage all right in a kitchen. He must make it clear that he'll need some support as he lives alone and keep on asking whether he has a care plan. Hip surgery patients tend to stay in hospital a very short time, if everything goes smoothly only a couple of days.
I feel strongly about this as the two people who were going to support me after TKR both were unable to do so (emergency surgery and MH issues). I explained, everything was noted and I said several times I was concerned that I had no support or care plan. Also we asked but there was no suitable nursing home or hotel in my area. The day I was told I was ready for discharge I spoke to the very competent sister on duty. Within 15 minutes she discovered that nothing had been done because 'someone didn't speak to someone else'!! The result was I bedblocked, to my embarrassment, for a further week.
Finally I was home with a morning and evening 30 minute carer. It was good to be checked and have help with the elastic stockings. I only needed her for a few days.
The district nurse came a few times to check BP and wound and got a traytrolley delivered when I said I was going to buy one.
I hope all goes well for your friend. Age seems less of a factor in recovery than mobility and general fitness.