Taking care of yourself or a loved one after joint replacement surgery can feel overwhelming, especially if you’re struggling with limited mobility, pain, fatigue, and other unpleasant symptoms. When managing on your own becomes too much to handle, professional home health care can provide the kind of support and assistance you need. VNSNY’s highly skilled and trained professionals often work together as a team and provide a broad array of services.

Our professionals

• Registered nurses who work closely with your doctor to manage at-home care. During a visit to your home, a nurse will do a complete assessment of your needs as they relate to your joint replacement surgery and any other conditions you may have and develop a personalized plan of care for you; this will include doing prescribed exercises properly, making it easier to move around your home comfortably and safely, checking for wound complications, taking your medication properly, and managing your lifestyle. Afterwards, the nurse will coordinate the delivery of services and revise your plan as necessary.
• Certified home health aides who can provide personal care (such as bathing or dressing), check vital signs (like blood pressure, pulse and respiration rates), and help you keep track of your pain and other symptoms. They can also shop for and prepare healthy meals that may be prescribed by a doctor, as well as assist with laundry and household chores.
• Home attendants (a.k.a., personal care workers) who can help with basic activities of daily living—bathing, dressing, grooming, making yourself more comfortable at home, walking, eating, shopping, paying bills, doing laundry, changing the bedding, and taking you to and from medical appointments.
• Licensed social workers who can assess your physical, functional, and emotional needs and offer strategies and resources for support. Social workers can also step in and offer assistance if family relationships become strained as a result of caring for a loved one who has had joint replacement.
• Rehabilitation therapists who can devise a plan for improving your recovery. These include physical therapists who can provide exercises to help improve your strength, mobility, and endurance in and around the joint, and occupational therapists who can help you find ways to perform daily tasks more easily.  
• Registered dietitians who will evaluate your nutritional and hydration needs and develop a meal plan to ensure you get the nutrients you need.

To make at-home care successful, prepare ahead of time by making a list of responsibilities and chores you’d like the caregiver to take on, so you can be sure you’ll receive the help you need and won’t forget anything that’s important to you. It's also wise to map out a schedule for meals, medications, sleep, exercise, and other activities, and to compile a list of emergency phone numbers for doctors, as well as friends and family members who can help in a pinch. This way, everyone will have the same expectations.