What to do if you have no one to take care of you after surgery

Recovering from surgery can be challenging, especially if you are facing it alone. You may need help with everyday tasks like getting dressed, preparing meals or remembering to take medication, and without support, the days and weeks after your procedure can feel overwhelming.

If you have no one nearby to help you after surgery, you are not alone. There are practical options available to make sure you get the care you need while you rest and recover. In this guide, we will look at where to turn for help, what kind of support makes a difference and how live in care could offer peace of mind during your recovery at home.

Assessing your post-operative needs

First things first, you need to consider exactly what type of care you’ll need after your surgery. The best way to do this is to request a post-surgery assessment with your healthcare team, where you can ask about your limitations and assistance requirements after the surgery.

Talk to your doctor about:

• Recovery needs: Make a list of essential requirements, such as companionship, symptom monitoring and help with daily living tasks, like showering.
• Mobility restrictions: Will you be able to get around the house? Can you drive to your aftercare appointments, or will you need transportation help?
• Self-care strategy: Consider what you can do for yourself and what you may need help with.
• Timeframe: Ask your doctor how long you’ll likely need extra support for while you recover, as you don’t want to overwhelm yourself with care responsibilities and slow down your recovery.

Knowing exactly what’s coming post-op will help you plan your recovery better, reducing the risk of becoming overwhelmed and stressed at home.

Preparing before surgery

Now you know what you need for a smooth recovery, it’s important to plan ahead so everything is ready and waiting for you when you get out of hospital.

Preparing your home

Setting your home up for a gentle, easy recovery is the key to success. Make sure everything you need is within reach and on the same floor as where you’ll be spending most of your time. To prepare your living space, consider:

• Setting up a temporary bed on the same floor as the kitchen and bathroom so you don’t have to climb stairs right away.
• Making sure you have enough essentials, such as soap, shampoo, toilet paper, toothpaste and hand sanitiser. This will prevent you from having to go to the shop too soon.
• Keeping a lightweight jug of water by your bed, along with a basket of nutritious snacks.
• Position your phone charger close to your chair or bed so you always have a way to contact someone if you need help.
• Setting up a carry caddy that contains essentials, like your glasses, remote control, e-reader and phone, so everything is always close by when you need it.
• Moving furniture around to make way for a walker or wheelchair, if you’ll be using one.

Planning your transportation

It’s vital that you plan how you’ll get to and from the hospital before the day of your surgery. You won’t likely be able to drive yourself home after your operation, so we recommend leaving your car at home if you don’t have someone to bring it back afterwards.

Instead, use a taxi or public transport to get to the hospital. For the way back, book a taxi in advance or ask your nurse to call before you’re discharged. If the thought of this makes you uneasy, consider asking a neighbour in advance to drive you home.

Stock up on pain-relievers and medication

One of the best ways to support your recovery is to make sure you have enough medication to manage pain. Your healthcare team may give you a range of medications to take home once you’ve been discharged, but it’s better to have too much than too little. Making sure you have enough of your prescribed medication and over-the-counter painkillers prevents you from having to venture out before you’re ready.

If you take regular medication already, it may be a good idea to set up a pill organiser that tells you what you need to take each day. This helps you continue taking the correct doses even when you’re feeling groggy and sluggish after a hospital stay.

Meal prep and delivery services

Proper nutrition plays a huge role in post-surgery recovery, so knowing what you’ll be eating and where the food will be coming from is essential. To avoid having to make decisions about each meal as it comes, consider creating a meal plan before surgery and batch-cooking meals to keep in the freezer until you need them.

Focus on protein-rich foods, vegetables and whole grains for the best support during your recovery. If you’ve been recommended a liquid diet, stock up on soups, yoghurts and smoothies.

If cooking is difficult for you or you don’t have the space to store lots of frozen meals, a delivery service is a great alternative. They’ll deliver ready-to-eat meals right to your doorstep, accommodating any dietary restrictions and nutritional needs you have. Many meal delivery services offer post-operative diets, so look out for these to rest assured that you’re getting the best for your health and recovery.

Keep your kitchen stocked with plenty of healthy snacks, including yoghurts, prepared fruit and vegetable sticks. Store them on a low shelf in the fridge to avoid having to bend or stretch your body.

Give yourself enough time to heal completely

When you don’t have much help, it can be tempting to push yourself too hard to get back to your daily routine. However, this can exacerbate your wound and actually slow down your recovery, leading to even more downtime.

Knowing how long you’ll need to recover helps put everything in perspective. Even keyhole surgeries can take at least five to ten days to start feeling better, while larger surgeries can take two months or more to heal from.

Straining or ‘pushing through the pain’ may cause complications, such as your wound opening and increasing the risk of infection. When recovering at home with minimal help, it’s essential that you give yourself grace and let your body recover in its own time.

Practice healthy habits before and after surgery

Practising healthy habits can get your body in better shape to heal faster and feel better sooner post-op. Continuing these after your surgery may support quicker recovery.

Stop smoking

Smoking has been proven to stunt healing in several ways, so wherever possible, avoid it during recovery. Smoking reduces the amount of oxygen that can get to the wound, as well as interfering with the inflammatory cells needed to speed up healing. It also impairs the immune system and increases the risk of wound infection.

Keep yourself regular

Prescription pain relief often causes constipation, leading to discomfort and a higher risk of complications. To prevent this, you could:

• Make sure you’re drinking enough water
• Add extra fibre to your diet with whole-grain bread and cereals
• Focus on eating lots of fresh fruits and vegetables
• Avoid caffeine as much as possible

Enjoy the downtime

Your mindset surrounding your operation may influence how well you recover. It can be easy to feel down about an upcoming surgery and a lack of support system, but this may lead to poor mental health and post-op complications. Instead, try and enjoy your downtime by making sure you have lots of things to occupy your time:

• Keep a stack of books you’ve been meaning to read near your chair
• Record lots of movies to watch in bed
• Create a playlist of new and favourite songs
• Buy a big puzzle or a word game book to complete
• Set up a games console to play while you recover

Create an emergency plan

While most people recover from surgery well without any issues, complications can arise. This is often anxiety-inducing, especially when you don’t have a support system to lean on. To protect yourself, create an emergency plan and safety checklist. Store important phone numbers on speed dial and always keep your phone charged.

Here are some tips for creating your emergency plan:

• Stick a list of emergency contact numbers to your fridge, including your doctor, pharmacy and trusted neighbours.
• Create a safety checklist that includes your daily medications (add correct doses and times), infection warning signs to look for and when to call for help.
• Keep a first-aid kit within reach at all times, along with water and medication.
• Consider getting a medical alert system that calls for help with the press of a button, in case you experience complications or take a fall.

Get short-term support

If you’re worried about doing everything for yourself after your operation, consider your options surrounding post-operative care and reablement support. Enlisting the help of a professional carer takes the burden off your shoulders and lets you put more energy into recovering rather than doing everything for yourself.

There are plenty of benefits to post-operative care, including:

• Faster healing and reduced risk of infection: A carer can support you in daily activities so you don’t have to strain yourself and put unnecessary pressure on your body, allowing it to focus solely on healing.
• Lower fall risk: A carer will assist you around the home and make sure your risk of falling is as low as possible by clearing walkways and moving low-level furniture.
• Help with cooking and daily living tasks: A carer will support you by making sure you have nutritious meals throughout the day and encouraging you to shower and brush your teeth.
• Immediate response to emergencies: A live-in carer can respond to emergencies instantly, so you don’t have to wait for help.
• Creating a support system: A carer will offer emotional support, but they may also encourage you to grow your support system and reach out to loved ones or neighbours for companionship.

Talk to our team today

As the UK’s longest-serving introductory live-in care agency, we have been providing compassionate live-in care to those who need it since 1959 – all from the comfort of their own homes.

Give us a call today on 01293 224 706. Our experienced team is on hand to help from Monday to Friday, 8 am to 6 pm. Alternatively, contact us through our online enquiry form.