Caring for a Family Member After Surgery

by Mary Ann Romans | More from this Blogger

28 Dec 2010 08:00 AM

If have a family member or loved one who will be having surgery soon, my heart goes out to you. It can be a stressful time. One of the things that can help is to be prepared at home for the care that your family member will need when he or she is home from the hospital. Here are some practical steps that you can take right now to make it much easier later.

Prepared Meals

Having prepared meals on hand when caring for a family member after surgery is essential. Please don't be afraid to relay on other people. Church groups, moms groups and even school groups are only too happy to provide meals when needed. Appoint a friend to coordinate meal delivery, at least for the first week.

If you have time, prepare a few things yourself and stick them in the freezer to reheat later. This can be a life saver. Also make sure that there are plenty of snack foods, cereal, crackers, fruit and other things that can be grabbed quickly if needed. If you have children, having breakfast or snacks that they can get on their own is a big help.

Child Care

This brings us to the next point, child care. If you can arrange it, see if any young children can be cared for by a trusted relative or friend, at least for the first couple of days. While it might be comforting to have the whole family together, young children require a lot of attention that you just might not have. It will also be quieter in the house without them, something your recovering family member might need.

Sleeping Arrangements

Put some thought into where your family member will be most comfortable resting and sleeping when he or she comes home. They may not wish to go up stairs, for example. A comfortable couch or even an installed hospital bed in an area on the main level and is close to a bathroom is usually a good idea. If your family member needs care though out the night, make additional arrangements to sleep nearby.

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Learn more about Mary Ann Romans

Mary Ann Romans is a freelance writer, online content manager, wife and mother of three children. She lives in Pennsylvania in the middle of the woods but close enough to Target and Home Depot.

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