Caring for a Loved One at Home after Surgery

How to prepare before the procedure

Taking care of a loved one after anesthesia and surgery starts with planning ahead. Here are the steps to take: 

• Education: Learn about the medical procedure or surgery, anesthesia, how to care for your loved one afterward, and what they might need at home.   
• Appointments: When you can, go with your loved one to their appointments. Ask questions about anesthesia, what to expect, and what the recovery plan will look like.  
• Create a comfortable recovery environment: Make sure your loved one has a comfortable place to rest. It should be clean and free from things they could trip on. Have all the supplies, food, and drinks they will need during recovery ready (follow their aftercare instructions).

Physical support

One of the most important jobs of a caregiver is giving physical support to their loved one. Physical support means helping with what their body needs. This includes helping your loved one with: 

• Basic needs: Depending on what kind of surgery or medical procedure they had, your loved one might need help with bathing or showering, making meals or eating or drinking, using the bathroom, and moving around at home.
• Daily tasks: During recovery, it may be hard for your loved one to do household tasks like cleaning, grocery shopping, taking care of children, or doing laundry. 
• Activity: Some people might need help walking, getting in and out of bed, and moving around at home. Stay close during the first attempts to stand or walk because dizziness, weakness, or lingering medication effects may increase the risk of falling. Depending on what kind of surgery or medical procedure they had, some people might need special devices (like a walker or wheelchair), have something to keep them still (like a cast), or have limits on what activities they can do. Follow what your healthcare team tells you about activity restrictions and getting back to normal activities. 
• Following aftercare instructions: Your loved one’s aftercare instructions will tell you about medications, activity limits, what they can eat or drink, side effects to expect, bandage or dressing changes (if needed), follow-up care, and when to call your healthcare team. Your loved one will probably need help following these instructions. 
• Medications: If your loved one needs to take medications as part of recovery (like pain medicine or antibiotics), they might need help remembering when and how to take them. They might also need help getting their medications from the pharmacy and filling prescriptions. Give medications only as directed. Do not combine pain medicine with alcohol, sleep aids, or other sedating medicines unless the healthcare team says it is safe. Learn about Drug-Free Pain Control.
• Driving: After anesthesia, your loved one needs to be driven home by a responsible adult. They should not drive for at least 24 hours after sedation, regional anesthesia, or general anesthesia, and longer if they are still sleepy, dizzy, confused, in significant pain, taking opioid pain medication, or unable to react normally. Follow their healthcare team’s instructions. 
• Watching for warning signs: Follow the healthcare team’s instructions about how long a responsible adult should remain with the patient after discharge. Caregivers need to watch for warning signs like pain getting worse and signs of infection or bleeding.
• Following up with their healthcare team: Depending on what kind of surgery or medical procedure they had, your loved one will probably need to visit their healthcare provider or providers after recovery. Depending on how well they are doing, they might need help getting to appointments, asking questions, and telling their provider how they are doing.

Emotional and mental support

Taking care of a loved one during recovery also means giving them emotional and mental support. Having anesthesia and other medical care can be stressful. In some cases, it can even be upsetting. Depending on what kind of surgery or medical procedure they had, how it changes their life, and if they get side effects or problems, they might need extra emotional and mental support. You can give this support by: 

• Being supportive and encouraging 
• Giving them time to rest 
• Talking with them and letting them share their feelings and worries about recovery 
• Providing companionship 
• Helping them find helpful resources if they need them 

Giving this kind of support is an important part of your loved one’s recovery.

Caring for yourself

Many people want to take care of their loved ones. They find it rewarding and think it’s an important part of being a parent, spouse, partner, friend, or family member. However, it’s also true that these responsibilities can be stressful and tiring. When you’re taking care of a loved one, it’s also important that you take care of your own mental, emotional, and physical health. You can do this by: 

• Prioritizing your basic needs: Eat healthy food, get enough sleep, exercise, take care of your health and cleanliness, and keep your supportive relationships strong.
• Spending time with loved ones and people who support you.
• Taking time for yourself: If you can, set aside time just for you. Make time for what you need. It’s not selfish to take care of yourself while taking care of a loved one.
• Reaching out for help: If you feel overwhelmed, talk to your support system, your healthcare team, and look into local resources. Many communities have local resources to help caregivers connect with others.
• Taking advantage of your loved one’s resources: Depending on what kind of surgery and medical procedure they had and their insurance, your loved one might qualify for home care, respite care, or other kinds of help. Talk with your healthcare team, especially your loved one’s social worker, care manager, or case manager, about these resources.

Not every caregiver feels stressed or overwhelmed by the recovery experience. Everyone’s recovery journey is different. But this process affects everyone involved.