Hip replacement - when should an 82 year old be discharged from hospital?

He will have mega problems getting in and out of bed on his own during the night if he needs to go to the loo. Will he be using crutches because if so he cannot carry a mug of tea or whatever with him, never mind a meal heated in the microwave.

Where there are relatives the staff obviously assume that the patient will be more or less discharged to their care particularly over the festive season which for them eases up a bed in readiness for their busiest time.

It is usual for a pre-op appointment to establish the home circumstances and whether any help is needed. Then, after the op, the physio usually checks whether the patient can get up and down the stairs before they are discharged.

If you think he is being discharged too soon when you see what he can do on Monday, then you will have to make it clear to the ward staff that he lives alone and will not be able to manage - and that he cannot go home till care is in place.

But, as others have pointed out, as long as he can manage, he is safer away from hospital bugs.

There will be drugs he needs to take when he is discharged and he needs to be able to manage taking those at the right dosage and the right time.

I was in for 5 days because of some post-op problems; and I needed lots of help at home afterwards too.

Occupational Therapy should have assessed before the op and set him up with things like a commode if needed to save him going up and down stairs
When my mum was ill I brought her a single bed downstairs for a couple of weeks
Can you or another family member help out and stay a few days or have him with you a few days ?

I had my hip op on Friday and discharged on Monday , the Physiotherapist made sure I could use crutches and go up and down stairs . DD1 stayed for a couple of days , mainly because I was the carer for my immobile OH . Stairs were no problem because I has the bannister on one side and a hand rail on the other , I had all the aids in place from when OH was mobile , the most useful was a push along trolley from the Occupational therapist I was 80 and was very immobile before my op , but so much better immediately after the surgery . As mentioned above , the sooner he gets out the better ! Hospital is full of germs !

My OH had a hip revision, second hip replacement of the same hip on the 10th December and came home on the 12th on two sticks. We live in a second floor flat, 4 flights of stairs, and he does manage these but there is no way he could manage indoors without my help. He is also in his 60's not his 80's.
I do hope your father has been assessed and has been given all the aids he will need.
I wish him well .

I was talking to someone the other day who is going in today for a hip replacement and out on Sunday. She does have a DH to look after her.
Sometimes it is better to go home than stay in and risk hospital acquired infections.

His home should have been assessed for suitability; as others have suggested, can you or another family member go to stay with him to look after him?

Hospital discharges seem far too soon to older people. After a hip replacement 20 years ago I was in hospital for 11 days and my mother was in the same time after a hysterectomy. My daughter was discharged 24 hours after her recent hysterectomy and felt fine.
Op’s frail old father will at least need a lot of help afterwards.

weeme that is probably the hospital protocol but I think your father won’t be discharged until the physios have made sure that he can get up and down stairs and that he can prepare a meal in the microwave.
Having said that, when MrA had a hip replacement he needed quite a lot of looking after for at least two weeks after he came home from hospital, and for a variety of reasons, he stayed in for 5 days.
Could you stay with him for a while after he comes home? Occupational therapy should already have assessed his home & made sure he has a chair at the right height, and his bed is the right height.
If this hasn’t been done, perhaps you need to make a phone call or two.
I hope it goes well for your father & he has a new lease of life.

ASAP

Our neighbour who lives on his own and is in his eighties was sent home very quickly. I think the worst thing for him was not being able to get out and therefore being lonely.

My husband went in every day and spent time with him. The neighbour is a smoker and I have lung problems so I couldn't go in but made small, healthy meals for my husband to take in.

My mum was discharged very quickly, and ended up back in A & E, where we told she didn't qualify for any help, as it should have been set up before she was discharged.
She ended up coming to live with me for 9 months.

That's fairly standard, I'd say. Have Occupational Therpy been to assess his house and provide any aids? That's what happened with my mum, also in her 80's then.

TBH, the relief from the terrible pain she'd endured made her feel years younger and she coped very well.

I hope your dad makes a good recovery.