After your knee replacement you will have to take extra care whilst moving around for the first few months.
It is a good idea to share this information with your family and friends before you come to hospital, so together you can plan your smooth return home for your rehabilitation period.
Preparing your home
• An occupational therapist may discuss suitable seating and bed height.
• Rearrange furniture to give yourself enough room to manoeuvre with a walker or crutches
• Get a good chair – one that is firm, and has arm rests to help you get up
• Remove loose carpets and rearrange electrical cords in the areas where you will be walking.
Equipment needed at home
Prior to discharge home you may need the following items in place
- Suitable arm chair – one that is not too low and suitable to get out of
- Raised toilet seat to help getting off the toilet
- Shower chair
- Long handled dressing aids – long handled shoe horn, pick up stick
You can prepare for this time by completing the Risk Assessment and Prediction Tool (RAPT) with your care team prior to going into hospital, to see your most likely discharge destination. Council or private meals and home help may make your transition home smoother. You may require some physiotherapy once you leave hospital either in the community or at home.
Rehabilitation in the Home (RITH) is an innovative and evidence-based service provided in your own home. It is suitable for people who require additional rehabilitation needs but can safely receive this at home. RITH offers short term, multidisciplinary, goal orientated therapy which helps you reach your maximum potential, regain independence where possible and improve your quality of life. Some people may require an inpatient stay at a rehabilitation hospital, however most people will successfully transition back to their own home without this. Your care team at the hospital will decide which is most appropriate for you.
For further information concerning Rehabilitation in the Home providers (RITH) please contact your health fund.