With age, a lot many health issues pop up. The foremost among them is the aging of bones. As bones get weaker, joint disorders pop up especially in the knee, leading to a knee replacement. Knee replacements, although common, require a lot of post-surgery care. To ensure the patient gets extensive care after their knee replacement, one has to develop their surroundings in such a way that managing their daily chores isn’t difficult. These developments are necessary to ensure the comfort of everyone around them.
Given below are 6 ways to develop your surroundings after a knee replacement procedure. Here we have classified them according to the need and the purpose they serve.
Table of Contents
1) Home readjustments
- Rearranging furniture can help avoid falls, collisions, and injuries.
- The path from the street to your front door should be well lit and clear of obstructions.
- Put a few handrails at strategic locations.
- Stairs should have handrails on both sides.
- Add a second banister on the other side.
- Clear walkways and stairs. Shoes, books, and low- hanging decorative items can cause one to trip over and fall.
- Put non-slip mats on the floor of your shower.
- Put grab bars in bathrooms
- Make sure the house is well-lit at all times and there are battery operated torches on your bedside.
2) Accessories
- Wear low-heeled shoes with rubber soles.
- Use a walker or a cane. Walking support ensures that a person does not fall easily and keeps the new knee safe.
- Use pillows to elevate the lower leg for better blood circulation in the knee and shin area.
- Do not leave the pain or swelling untreated. Seek regular medical consultation.
- Keep ice packs ready for the knee.
- Medications should be easily accessible, identifiable and neatly arranged.
- Bandages for dressing changes should be within reach.
3) Personal lifestyle changes
- Choose spacious and soft clothes for sleepwear, which will not hinder movement.
- Wear shoes that are safe for walking around the house.
- Always carry a battery-operated torch whether it’s daytime or night.
- Carry an electronic bell to call someone in case of an emergency.
- Keep the items you need more frequently within your reach or at easily reachable places.
4) Use of gadgets
- Keep a bedside commode or urinal if the bathroom is not easily accessible.
- Use a bed that is neither too high nor too low from the ground level of the room.
- A cell phone to call for help.
- A walker or crutches are a must.
- Battery operated lights or lamps should be used.
- Appropriate toiletries are very important.
5) Extra Cautions while outdoors
- Use a walker or cane because they prevent a person from stumbling. Sighting of walkers and canes hints strangers that the person should be given more space.
6) Some miscellaneous adjustments
- Wheelchair or other equipment for mobility should be available at all times.
- There should be an adjustable bed with sensors and alarm.
- Care should be taken to see that certain doors are not locked or hard to open.
can be one such place that can be helpful to you adjusting your knee’s extensive needs. Their wide product range consists of bedside instruments to facilitate easy living for patients. Some of their products include a care watch bed alarm and sensor pad, a bedside locker, move alert crash/fall mat with an alarm sensor.
We hope this article helped you understand that though a knee replacement is a major change in a person’s life, its management isn’t difficult at all. A few adjustments and a little caution in your daily life could make this a smooth transition to a healthier life.