How we help
Surgery is scheduled and recovery at home needs a plan
A hip, a knee, a heart, a back. The surgeon says recovery at home is fine as long as someone is there. You want to say yes to that. Here is how to make it true.
Care booked before the surgery date, so it is one less thing on the day.
Help with the hard first days: getting up, bathing safely, meals, the stairs.
Reminders to do the exercises the therapist leaves, and accompaniment to follow-up appointments.
Housekeeping, laundry and groceries so recovery is the only job.
A short-term plan that steps down as strength returns.
Before the surgery
- Ask the surgeon’s office what the first week at home will require: weight-bearing restrictions, stairs, showering, driving, who should be present and for how long.
- Set up the house. A bed and bathroom on one floor if possible. A shower chair and hand-held shower head. A raised toilet seat. Clear paths for a walker. Frequently used items at waist height.
- Stock the kitchen and fill the prescriptions before the surgery day.
- Book the care. We meet you and your parent beforehand, write the plan, and confirm the caregiver. On surgery day, one thing is already handled.
The first two weeks
Days one to three. The caregiver helps with getting in and out of bed and chairs safely, bathing within the surgeon’s restrictions, dressing (socks and shoes are surprisingly hard after hip surgery), meals, and keeping the medication schedule straight. If a home health nurse or physical therapist visits, the caregiver is there to let them in and pass along observations.
Days four to fourteen. Accompaniment to follow-up appointment. Encouragement to do the exercises the therapist left, several times a day, which is where recovery is actually won or lost. Laundry, a clean kitchen, groceries. Gradually the caregiver does less and your parent does more.
Weeks three and beyond. Many families step down to mornings only, then to a few visits a week, then stop. Others discover the help was useful in ways they had not expected and keep a few hours. Either is fine.
Overnight or 24-hour care after surgery
For cardiac and major abdominal surgery, and for anyone who lives alone, families often arrange 24-hour care for the first week and overnight care for the second. It is intensive for a short time, and it is what lets the surgeon’s “recover at home” instruction actually happen.
Where we do this
Throughout our 16 counties, from patients coming home from UPMC, Penn State Health, WellSpan, Penn Medicine Lancaster General, Tower Health, Lehigh Valley Health Network and St. Luke’s hospitals. See coming home from the hospital for hospital-specific checklists. We are independent and not affiliated with any hospital.
Other situations we help with
Coming home from the hospital
The hospital wants the bed. The discharge planner says someone needs to be home. You have a job, kids, and maybe a two-hour drive. This is the situation we are built for.
Overnight care
Days are manageable. Nights are not. Bathroom trips at 2 a.m., wandering, confusion, or a spouse who has not had an unbroken night's sleep in a year. An overnight caregiver changes the whole household.
24-hour care
The doctor, the discharge planner, or your own gut has said it: someone needs to be there all the time. You want that to be home. Here is how 24-hour care actually works.
After a fall
A fall changes everything in a day. Whether it ended in the ER or just a scare on the kitchen floor, the question is the same: how do we keep this from happening again without taking away their independence?
Frequently asked questions
How far ahead should we book?
How long do most people need help after a joint replacement?
Is this covered by insurance?
This article is general information for Pennsylvania families and is not medical, legal, financial, or insurance advice. It's Your Home Care is a non-medical home care agency licensed by the Pennsylvania Department of Health; we do not provide skilled nursing or medical services. Program rules and eligibility change; confirm details with the agency or program named, your physician, or a qualified advisor before making decisions.
Talk to a care coordinator today
Tell us what is happening at home. We will explain your options, including what private pay, long-term care insurance, VA benefits, and Pennsylvania waiver programs may cover, and schedule an in-home care consultation when you are ready.