Foot surgery is not a major surgery in that the patient will not be in the hospital for an extended period of time. In fact, it is normally an outpatient procedure that sends the person home the very same day. However, the recovery period can still be rather long and painful. If you know someone who is going to undergo foot surgery, you might wonder what you can do to help. You can’t remove their pain, but there are other things you can do to help your friend or family member recover.
1. Offer Rides
Ask if your family member or friend needs a ride home from the hospital after the procedure. You might volunteer transport and even go to the surgical center and wait during the recovery period after the surgery. Rides will be something your family member will need for quite some time, so consider offering rides at other times as well. They might need rides for work, errands, or other occasions.
2. Help with Instructions
When someone has surgery, they might be a bit foggy on exact instructions. You can help by figuring out what the person needs to do and then helping them do it. Doctors will send post-surgery instructions home with their patients, and from those instructions you can create a schedule that includes medications, doctor’s orders, physical therapy exercises, and other items so your family member can keep it all in order.
3. Offer Alternatives to Crutches
Crutches can be very helpful for getting around, but they can also be very hard for some people. Offer your family a few options as shown on GoodbyeCrutches.com. Items like the Hands Free Crutch, the Knee Walker, or the Seated Scooter could greatly improve the mobility of your family member after his foot surgery.
4. Offer Specific Help
Think about the things you normally do around your house that would be hard to do on one foot and then offer to do those things for your family member. You could mow the lawn, do the laundry, cook, clean, etc. Keep in mind that it is easier for someone to accept help when you are specific about what you are offering. Instead of telling him to ask for what he needs, offer something specific.
5. Watch for Issues
If you will be around your family member for an extended period, study some of the adverse affects someone can have after a foot surgery and then watch for those signs. You will want to call the doctor, for example, if the patient has a fever of 101 or higher. Keep an eye on the swelling in the foot as well as its color. Also, make sure there is not too much drainage coming from the surgical incision. It is important for you to watch for these issues because your family member, having just come from surgery, may not be alert enough to notice the danger signs.
There are plenty of other things you can do for someone after a foot surgery, but these ideas are a great start to help your family member along their road to recovery.
Author Bio:
Brooke Williams is an award winning writer for Goodbye Crutches, the largest distributor of modern alternatives to crutches that serves those who can’t bear weight and can’t bear crutches. A former radio announcer turned freelance writer she contributes to many other websites. She has authored four complete books as well. Brooke has been married for 10 years and has two daughters, Kaelyn, who is nearly 4 and Sadie who is one month old.