Recovery time after hip replacement operation

The Occupational Therapists at the hospital should have carried out an assessment of her ability to cope. I was only 64, and they made sure that I could cope with stairs, boil a kettle and get in and out of the bath. Three days is ludicrous for a patient of her age. Social services provided me with various aids like a trolley for transporting food from kitchen to table; a raised toilet seat; and a seat across the bath. Surely the district nurse should be available to administer injections. The GP should be asked to think again.

Thank you annodomino. Social sevices have provided aids but they are at mil house. My husband could stay there for a few days but he is self employed and will have to do some work. He is not happy taking her to the toilet etc and she would be most distressed. He is going to the hospital now and intends telling them he will not be taking her home with him. I cannot understand how the hospital can even think about discharging her today although she has made a good recovery so far.

This is rubbish - she should not be discharged to her home or yours until she is fully ready, which at her age will not be after 3 days.

Some people in their 50s and 60s are ready and able to cope at home after a short time - although I wasn't.

She should still be on some strong painkillers, which, at her age, could compromise her balance and stability, so she is definitely not safe to be on her own.

Family should not be asked to administer injections or change dressings - the District Nurse must be contacted.

I would refuse her discharge until the proper assessments have been done and the necessary help is available - as anno says, there are aids that she needs as well as nurses. There is no point in her going through this surgery only to fall at home and fracture her femur or her arm.

When I was working as a hospital SW we would have found her a convalescent place for a fortnight to allow her to gather strength and improve her mobility.

Thanks Lucky girl. She is dizzy. She was seeing things too yesterday . I think part of the problem is that she tells the nurses that she is fine and that her son will look after her. Poor dh is really worried.

The nurses should be used to very elderly people saying it will all be fine, as they understandably value their independence. But there should be proper systems in place to make sure that patients are safe when they are discharged. If she is dizzy and slightly confused it is wholly inappropriate that she should be at home alone. There are lots of things she must remember - e.g. sleeping on her back, not bending her hip below 90 degrees, keeping her elastic stockings on, taking her anticoagulants etc. etc. She cannot possibly be doing this on her own.

A nursing home for a couple of weeks would be the best option - but I am guessing that she might not be keen!

sarah I have PMed you. As I have stated and has others, she should not be taken home today. If the worst comes to the worst, and they still want to discharge her, ring the consultant's secretary on Tuesday, tell her the situation and it will be relayed to the surgeon.

She should have been assessed prior to surgery but it sounds as though that has not been done. She is not going to cope with a loo upstairs- she will using either a Zimmer frame or crutches- the frame is impossible to use on stairs and the use of crutches has to be taught.

Many thanks for all your advice. My husband has returned from the hospital and has point blank refused to take her home until she is fit enough and care has been put in place. I must admit to losing faith with the hospital. They were all so nice but they did not like my husbands refusal and would have discharged her if he had not insisted. How can this be caring?

I have wider family members who work for the NHS and they are caring and responsible. They did try to warn dh this might happen a few weeks ago but he had faith in the hospital and believed them when they said she would not go home until she could cope on her own.

That is excellent news. I am so pleased that your DH stood up to them, it could not have been easy.

You know that you have us lot behind you with advice.

Sarah
MrA had a hip replacement 7 months ago. He was in hospital for 6 days, even though surgery was uneventful.
I was very glad that I was already retired, because I thought at the time that I would have had to take at least two weeks off work, after he had been discharged, to look after him.
He was supposed to walk increasing distances each day but for at least a week I couldn't let him go out alone.
I'm quite shocked that your MiL has been treated like this and very sorry that your DH has had to battle on her behalf.
I do hope you're able to get the right help soon

I work in a care home and we had a couple of ladies who have broken a hip. They were never discharged after 3 days. They stayed about 1-2 weeks at one hospital and then were moved to another one for physio. Three days is just ridiculous for a 90 year old. I'm glad your husband put his foot down. Hope all turns out well

I had a hip done in November. I was discharged after three days. This is normal for a normal op for a healthy patient but there was a ward where people who were deemed not to be managing could go for two weeks more. This was a specialist hip unit. A very fit 87 year old I know who lives on her own in a three story house has made use of it. I did my own injections and the district nurse came in for a dressing change. Your husband is absolutely right not to let her come home and insist on an assessment before she does. I certainly was a bit woolly about taking pain killers and appreciated my DH's help to keep me on track.

My MiL, who was nearly 80 when she had her knees replaced, was in hospital for about a week and then moved to a convalescent hospital where she had lots of physiotherapy for a couple of weeks before she went home. She then had a carer coming in to get her up in the morning and put her to bed and the district nurses coming in to change dressings and so on.

If your MiL was sent home now she would probably be readmitted before they had time to strip her bed. It's so easy to have a fall doing the simplest things.

That s the sort of treatment my mil needs Deeda. We will have to insist that she gets it. Luckily we live very close to her and my husband pops in and out anyway. I feel very sorry for anyone who does not have family to look out for them.

I just wanted to add thanks for everyone s help and good wishes.it is much appreciated.

I had a hip replacement when I was a fit 62 year old. I was discharged 2 days later and recovered well but did need help in the early days. It made me wonder how the 80 year old widow in the bed opposite me fared when she went home to her empty house on the same day. Hope you get the support you need for your mother in law without too much of a fight.

Round here this lady would have been sent to a cottage hospital for physio and recovery - but we are very lucky in having these cottage hospitals still here.
Stick to your guns and make sure she is fit to manage when she returns.

To be honest, when the dust settles I would talk to PALS at the hospital about this unsatisfactory situation and talk with the hospital about their discharge policy - it needs to be revamped I think!

It looks like she will be discharged tomorrow but the hospital have PROMISED that they have arranged for a district nurse to visit everyday and administer injections, change dressings etc. Dh will stay with her for 48 hours at least. After that he will call every morning to get her up and downstairs and call again at lunchtime hopefully or I could possibly take a long lunch from work and call round. His sister will go every evening to get her to bed. He has also arranged for her to have one of those alarm things she can wear round her neck. This is not ideal but the best we can do in the circumstances .

I will bear in mind your suggestion re contacting pals as well Lucky girl. I don't want to cause trouble but this cannot be a satisfactory way to treat old ladies. We all deserve the best care at whatever age.

Sorry Sarah, but she is still going to have to cope with the stairs going to the loo during the day. I still do not think that she should be discharged. She has to be comfortable using crutches negotiating the stairs and if desperate, anything could happen. What in heaven's name is the rush apart from more money when the bed is occupied again.

Have they organised somebody to clean her house and change bedding? That should not be left to you to sort out.

How will she cope if she needs the loo during the night? Have they organised a raised loo seat and a bath board? Hs she been given a grabber to help with picking things up? Does she have cannot remember its name but it is used to get tights or stockings on. In fact have they organised much?

There will not be a PALs at the hospital where she has had surgery. If she were my mother in law I would still refuse to take her because she certainly does not sound fit for discharge to me. If you have problems when you get home, dial 999 and she will be taken to your local. please do not wait until she has a fall and good luck.

You can demand that your MIL has a socialwork assessment of need before she is discharged. I thought it was good practice in all hospitals before vulnerable discharges. My mother had one.

She does not ( and should not ) have to be discharged tomorrow. You simply say that she will be on her own for most of the time and will not be able to get herself to the toilet.

There should be a PALS at every hospital - I do not know of any that do not have.

This hospital's discharge policy is rubbish and it needs sorting. Hospitals are obliged by law to make sure that people are not discharged to an unsafe situation which is exactly what this is. I was a hospital SW and this was my daily bread - no way would we let this lady out. I have had a hip replacement and I needed loads of help to start with. It is a false economy as well as inhuman to send her home and have her fall and break something. A fractured femur can be a terminal event in the elderly.

What a travesty of care this is!

She has not had a social work assessment. My husband is blaming himself because she did have a pre op meeting with the consultant I think. They asked if she had family and help and of course he said because she does but he made it clear that she lives by herself and that he works. He actually works part time but he told them he works full time. No mention was made of him administering injections or changing dressings. He was probably a bit naive and believed them when they said they would not discharge her until she could cope with stairs etc. If you have no medical experience you would believe their assurances though.

He went to the hospital this am and watched the physio help her with stairs and she did seem OK.

She has been given aids and a comode. No mention was made of cleaners or help and I was going to pay someone to go in.

What a worry. I will not hesitate to call 999 if there are any problems though.

Provided her savings are not over I think the sum is £23,500 she is entitled I believe to free help with cleaning. My aunt did not 3 months post surgery but I appreciate that was many years ago and times change.

Is her bed high enough do you know? It had to be a certain height (cannot remember height) so that she will be safe getting in and out. Can she get in and out of bed safely?

In hospital she should have wedge shaped pillow between her legs to stop her sleeping or turning on her side- she should also be given one of those. If none materialises- 2 -3 pillows between her legs at night.

Sarah, so sorry that you are having to cope with this nightmare- it should not be happening.