After you’ve undergone surgery and are ready to go back home, you might still need time to adjust to normal life as you continue to complete your rehabilitation program. That’s why you need to ensure that you design your home to help with your rehabilitation before you make your way to the hospital for the procedure. This will give you a comfortable home to return to that will aid with your overall recovery.
There’s many ways you can do this, giving yourself the best chances of a quick recovery. Every part of your home can make a difference in the speed your rehabilitation is completed, as you need to ensure that you can get in and out of bed easily, as well as carry out everyday tasks around the house without aggravating your injuries or wounds.
This guide will highlight the best changes you can make to your home that will help you the most with your rehabilitation. Continue reading to learn more.
Designing Your Home for Post-Surgical Recovery
Comfortable Seating
Having comfortable places to sit can be crucial to your home-based health recovery, as sitting in certain positions can hinder your rehabilitation and lead to you worsening your condition. You should utilise a recliner or a high-backed chair with armrests to help with sitting and standing, as this will make it easier to get in and out of the seat. While soft, low couches might sound really relaxing, they can actually hinder you as they can be difficult to stand up from without any support. They also promote a poor sitting posture that can slow down your healing.
Accessibility Focus
You need to make your home as accessible as possible, so you can complete your day-to-day tasks without hassle. Focusing on preventing falls and minimising strain by creating clear pathways will be very beneficial, with installing safety aids like grab bars and elevating surfaces being great for giving you a healthy transition from one room to another. Placing a side table within arm’s reach for essentials like medications, water, phone and TV remote will be very useful to you, instead of having to get up out of your seat to find these items every time you need them.
Optimised Bathroom
The bathroom is the area of the home that can lead to the most slips and falls. You need to design it so that you can get in and out of the shower easily, as well as helping with toilet access. Securely mount grab bars in the shower and next to the toilet, ensuring they are screwed into wall studs for maximum support. Install a raised toilet seat too, especially for hip or knee surgery to minimise bending. You can also place non-slip mats inside and outside the shower to reduce chances of falling.
Remove Hazards
Clear all walkways of loose rugs, electric cords and clutter to prevent tripping, as falls are the primary cause of surgical procedures failing to health properly due to aggravation. You can either complete a clear up before you go for your procedure, or ask a family member to do it for you while you recover in the hospital. This will give you a hazard-free home to return to as you recover.
Improve Lighting
Improving lighting during post-surgery recovery at home is crucial, as it directly impacts the speed of healing and physical safety. Proper lighting helps align the body’s internal clock, reduces pain and creates a safe environment for mobility, so you can get from room to room a lot easier. Getting more natural lighting around the home is the most beneficial, as this will give you many health benefits, including making you feel more positive as you undergo your rehabilitation.
Balanced Temperature
Ensuring that your home is a balanced temperature is very important for your rehabilitation. It directly affects your physical performance, pain management and speed of recovery, so you need to find the perfect temperature that optimises this. A balanced temperature is generally recommended between 18°C and 21°C, as this prevents the body from expending unnecessary energy on thermoregulation. This allows you to focus on healing. A conservatory conversion is perfect for this, especially with C.H.R.I.S technology, which keeps your space at the perfect temperature all year round.