THR Home Health nurse and PT

[Zoebichon]

My THR surgery is this Friday and I'm busy. Since I've been waiting since November, I've had lots of time to read lots of recovery stories and accumulate lots of assisted devices! Today I'm unboxing everything and putting together things.
I'm surprised that I'm actually more worried about the Home Health nurse and PT coming to my house than I am about the surgery!

My house is decluttered and clean but whenever I have strangers in the home, I go a bit overboard.

Will they look into my pantry? (I took everything out and cleaned all of the shelves in case!)
Will they look under the bed? Cleaned and dusted in case!

Look into the fridge? Better start on that!

I know they will look into my bathrooms so those are being scrubbed extra thoroughly!

I really do stress out whenever strangers come. Recently I needed a plumber and I went a bit crazy cleaning for him!

 

[subie2021]

Don't worry about it! Home health has seen it all from superminimalist sterile to cluttered and kind of stinky. Same with pt. What they look for is safety and will advise you about trip and fall hazards like loose throw rugs and extension cords. They check that you can use your walker or cane properly. If you have questions about things like using your shower transfer bench or whether you should sleep in your bed or the recliner, they help with advice.
My pt guy was wonderful about answering my DH's questions and assuring him that I was doing fine. He checked my incision and changed the dressing when it was due and even snapped a photo for me with my phone. When I complained about not being able to get comfortable in bed, he marched us into our bedroom and showed us how to place pillows so I could toss that horrible foam adduction wedge. He didn't look in the bathroom at all, but he asked if I was using a raised toilet seat. Both DH and I appreciated his visits.
All your cleaning won't be in vain. Your house will be all in order when you get home and you can relax knowing everything is tidy. This will come into play especially at about 2-3 weeks out when you feel good but haven't been cleared to clean under the sink on your hands and knees...you'll be happy knowing you've taken care of that sort of thing.
By the time you need to redo some of it, you'll have figured out how to vacuum while using it as a walker and how to scrub with a Magic Eraser in a grabber
Best wishes for a successful surgery and an easy recovery!

 

[Hip4life]

That’s hilarious because I’m the same way. Who was it? The comedienne, Phyllis Diller, I think who said “I call up my doctor who’ll make a house call and tell him I’m deathly sick just so I’ll get my house cleaned up. Then I call him and tell him not to come since I’ve made a miraculous recovery.” Lol.

I agree with @subie2021 The professionals that come to your house HAVE seen it all and are not there to judge. They won’t snoop, just will check things out enough to make sure you’re safe and on your way to a wonderful recovery. Blessings for a smooth surgery and a good start to your healing journey. We’ll be looking for you on the recovery side when you’re ready.

 

[djklaugh]

@Zoebichon If my experience is anything to go by then you have nothing to worry about. I had a home health person come after my BTHR and what she was most concerned about were safety issues - like loose small rugs, did stairs have hand rails (in my house nope they don't but I had a hospital bed set up on main floor close to bathroom and kitchen so did not have to do stairs much), my support system (excellent), could I do getting into and out of bed safely (yes), into/out of car safely (yes), arrangement for showering (perfectly fine).... and No she did not look under beds, in pantry, in fridge, or comment on my housekeeping! She actually combined Home Health with visiting nurse ( she'd inspect bandages and check blood pressure at each visit) and a bit of PT too (just making sure I could do the few exercises easily). She only came once a week for 4 weeks then decided I did not need that level of care

 

[Layla]

It sounds like anyone could eat off your floor at this point already!

Don’t drive yourself crazy. The visiting nurse and PT understand you’ve been dealing with physical limitations and I‘m sure have seen it all. They aren’t going to snoop around especially if they notice your home is free of trip / fall hazards from the beginning. Take a deep breath and relax, relief is on the way! Best Wishes for Thursday. Will look forward to following your recovery on the healing side. See you there soon!
@Zoebichon

 

[Klassy]

I think this is a wise investment of your time. Your house will be such an oasis of peace and order, that the nurses will be giving you extra attention just for the excuse to linger.

And seriously, it will be balm to your spirits as a place to spend time in while you recover.

 

[Zoebichon]

My nurse navigator called and was giving pre and post-op instructions, even though all of the information was on the education videos I had to watch.

She said that towards the end of my surgery the anesthesiologist would be inserting a nerve catheter into my thighs, just below the wound. I will be getting a call from him 72 hours after surgery to remind me to remove the catheter.

The catheter somehow feeds nerve anesthesia into my thighs.

Has anyone else had this done? It is routine for Kaiser Permanente.

Oooops! This was supposed to go on the Pre-hip surgery side!

 

[Layla]

Hello, I hope you’re having a good day so far.
Please notice that we have moved a recent post from the Hip Recovery Forum to the Hip Pre-Op forum since you’re still pre-op. Having your pre-op information contained on the pre-surgery side of BoneSmart will make it easier for you to reflect back upon if necessary. Please let us know if you’d like your thread titled changed to reflect your recent catheter question. Enjoy the rest of the day.
@Zoebichon