Whether you feel young at heart or not, your body will tell the truth. And that truth is that post-operative care is no walk in the park once you’re older.
If you’re like the other 15 million elderly patients having surgery, keep reading. There are more factors to consider than the risk of anesthesia. Postoperative care is an important topic that you should cover before having surgery.
Here are the most crucial post-surgery care facts you should know about. While all surgeries are complicated, the recovery for seniors is often more so.
While pain is common after surgery, this is still something to look for in post-surgery care.
The reason is that in some elderly patients, painkillers may not do the job. If you notice that pain isn’t dulled by prescription drugs, speak with a doctor.
Problems with pain management can affect a patient’s ability to recover. Not to mention, it also makes the recovery process more uncomfortable than it needs to be.
Coming out of anesthesia isn’t an easy task. Grogginess plagues a majority of those who undergo surgery. But confusion or postoperative delirium is different and is common in elderly patients.
Experts say more than 80 percent of elderly patient’s delirium goes unnoticed. Here are the signs to watch for:
If you notice any of these things in your loved one, tell someone immediately.
Medications and anesthesia have adverse effects for most patients. If you or a loved one have trouble, it may be normal.
Nausea in itself isn’t alarming. But if it persists, it may cause dehydration. Call a professional if vomiting and sickness do not subside.
After surgery, it’s overwhelming to see the aftermath. To add to the drama, there’s often excessive bruising.
The reason is that blood had a tendency to leak and spread to other places under the skin. It’s not uncommon to find bruising around the surgery site. Don’t panic, if you can help it.
While bruising won’t hinder healing, it can slow it down. As always, if you’re concerned, contact your doctor.
In the middle of the confusion, pain, and tiredness, it’s easy to forget to drink water. It happens often with elderly patients in surgical aftercare. That’s why it’s critical that someone is there to remind them to hydrate.
Ice chips can go a long way. Hydration will help with temperature spikes, nausea, and all kinds of post-op side-effects.
For most elderly patients, the road to recovery is a difficult one. As a caretaker, it can be daunting to think of the care your loved one needs, from postoperative care to recovery in the long-run. What if you could rely on the help of others?
Rainbow Rehab & Healthcare is here to offer our postoperative care to those in need. Check out the many amenities that we provide to make rehabilitation and healthcare easier for our residents.
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