Regardless of age, it simply takes time to recover from surgery. The amount of time, however, increases with age. While your loved one is recovering, you want the peace of mind of knowing she is receiving high-quality care from a licensed senior homecare agency. Whether it’s picking up medications, cooking, or assisting in the bathroom, senior homecare services ensure that your loved one is healthy as soon as possible.

If you know in advance that your loved one is going to have surgery, it’s best to setup your senior’s homecare with enough time to give the agency time to perform a needs assessment and make the necessary arrangements. Whether the senior homecare aide needs to pick your loved one up from the hospital or be at the home with the prescribed medications by a certain time, preparation always minimizes the stress that is natural with any surgical procedure.

Whether it’s hip surgery, knee surgery, plastic surgery, heart surgery, or any other type of surgery, a licensed senior homecare agency will provide reliable care to improve your senior loved one’s quality of life when she needs it most. One study by the Canadian Medical Association Journal even showed that seniors were 43% less likely to pass away in the three months after surgery when they received professional homecare.

Regardless of the type of surgery, common post-surgery senior homecare services include customized assistance with:

• Personal care, such as bathing and dressing

• Medication management, such as reminding the senior to take her medication at specific times

• Range-of-motion exercises

• Transportation to and from physical therapy, doctor’s appointments, and errands

• Grocery shopping, cooking, and feeding

• Making sure the home is safe and easy to navigate post-surgery

• Changing ice bags or helping with durable medical equipment (DME), such as getting in and out of a wheelchair

Senior homecare services are never more critical than post-surgery when your loved one is in her most vulnerable and painful condition. That’s why it’s important to do your homework and hire an agency that is experienced at providing senior homecare for all types of post-surgical procedures.

When you interview a senior homecare agency to care for your loved one following a surgery, there are a few key questions you need to ask to make sure they are qualified:

• Are they bonded and insured? Do they pay workers’ compensation insurance for their caregivers?

• Do they perform criminal background checks on their caregivers? If so, how in-depth is the background check?

• How do they hire, train, and review employees?

• Do they have specific senior homecare experience following the same surgery as your loved one?

• Will they provide you with a comprehensive, written plan of care?

• Will they give you detailed references to check?

How do they hire, train, and review employees?

Do they have specific senior homecare experience following the same surgery as your loved one?

Will they provide you with a comprehensive, written plan of care?

Will they give you detailed references to check?

If your loved one is going to have surgery in the foreseeable future, now’s the time to schedule an assessment with a reputable senior homecare agency.