Taking Care of the Hip Replacement Patient the Mercyfull way....

Mercyfull Home Health Care® Roles and Responsibilities for the Caregiver

If the job “caregiver” were listed in the classifieds, the ad might read:

Wanted: A compassionate, patient volunteer with a great sense of humor. We’re looking for a patient’s advocate with the observation skills of a scientist and the organizational skills of a secretary. Must be a good listener who can go without sleep when necessary, eat cold food when it should be hot (without complaint) and won’t tire of answering the question “how is he, how is she?” repeatedly. This volunteer must be resilient, as duties for this position as the caregiver to a joint replacement patient include (but are not limited to):

• Helping patient stand, sit, lie down, and move from room to room and place to place;
• Providing help with bathing/grooming, dressing, feeding, and using the bathroom;
• Doing (or arranging for) the shopping, cleaning, cooking, laundry and errand-running;
• Keeping track of medical appointments and providing transportation to and from the hospital, the surgeon’s office, the physical therapist’s, and to any other appointments;
• Picking up prescriptions or managing delivery of prescriptions;
• Administering medications, changing dressings, keeping track of assistive devices (cane, walker, crutches, etc);
• Communicating with the healthcare team about any changes or concerns;
• Managing finances, including paying regular household bills and handling the patient’s insurance paperwork.

At the very least, you must be willing to temporarily sacrifice your wants and needs for the good of your loved one.

The Mercyfull compensation is that if all goes as expected, your loved one will soon be in better shape than before the surgery. Most joint replacement patients enjoy greater mobility after recovering from surgery, and reduced pain, compared to their pre-surgery condition. They are more independent and better able to fully enjoy the activities of daily living. Most people would agree that this is a rewarding compensation package, indeed.