Hip replacement must haves?

[AnneShirley18]

Hi, my mother is going in for a long overdue hip replacement next month. If you've been through one, or helped a loved one through one, are there any items you recommend to get through recovery? Could range from the very practical to the pampering. Thanks in advance for any wisdom!

also bought a full body pillow for when i started using my bed

Mum had

Raised toilet seat and a frame around the toilet, long handled clothes hook so she could dress herself, long handled sponge/brush for the shower, large V shaped pillow for the sofa so she could sit comfortably, more pillows on the bed as she had to sleep sitting up for the first week or 2. We also got a cheap stool for the kitchen so she could sit of she needed to when making food

Thanks again everyone! I think I still carry a lot of guilt from the hip break days. She had bounced back so well from other surgeries so remarkably quickly that it took me a long time to see she was really struggling. I'm going to be prepared for all eventualities this time. Hopefully it will be the beginning of a really great pain free chapter!

A decent bag to carry things you need during the day downstairs and then to carry things you need upstairs at night.
I am definitely the exception to the rule as I was 38 when I had mine with a 7 month old to look after - husband went back to work day after I was discharged and like a fool I just got on with it.
Your mum must do the physio without exception - I really struggled as baby duty and 8 years later I am paying for it in terms of pain. I quite liked the Clarins leg balm as it made my legs feel 'zingy'! Also try to get hold of scar reducing cream - not that the scar is bad but it encourages massage so helps heal.
Amazon did wound cleaning packs - these were very good (the pink liquid stuff to clean the wound).
Hope it does go well, it is worth it, I no longer have the mind numbing bone on bone and bone fracturing pain that I had before. But she needs to take it steady.

Hmmn your experience is very unusual.Major surgery and takes a few weeks at best to recover.
Analgesia is a problem because discharge is ,in my opinion too soon after surgery.Be persistent that paracetamol is not adequate immediately post op .
Low BP can be a problem for a while so ideally have someone to be with you for a few days post op .
Raised loo seat,long handled grabber to reach , arrange for pets to be cared for ,easy to prepare food not involving standing for too long.
Bum bag to carry phone and essentials around the house.

This has been a great read, thank everyone! My mum has hers in a couple of months.

Only trouble for her is she can't take any pain relief due to allergies so she'll have to suffer (much like she is now!)

had 2 replacements and a revision - a commode for the nights i found the most useful.
apart from that it really was not stressed - sleeping pattern was up and down so plenty of books and the tv at night., after 2 weeks i was fine and walking fine., i was 80 at the time
and can honestly say it was fine. paracedomol but did not really need it.

Hello @AnneShirley18
Solidarity - my DM is having her hip replaced next month too. She is using her life savings to go private. She won’t get any NHS help, aids etc, so this is useful to read.

Looking at my wife who had a new hip 10 days ago. She needs a toilet frame and a raised toilet seat. Plus a chair which keeps her legs at the right angle. Plus incontinence pads for when she can’t make the loo quickly enough. Plus me putting her socks on, and sometimes her knickers. But most importantly, staying on top of pain medication.

Other than the obvious:
A bumbag to carry all your stuff around while you're on sticks
Easy on/off trousers (ie joggers)
Slip on slippers
A grabber
A chair with a table next to it
Snacks

Oh, and read the book "Hip Expectations"

DH has had his done 3 times and he's not even 40 yet lol.
One on each side and an emergency repair to the initial one.

Something like this helps to reduce the swelling and bruising
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hip-Ice-Pack-Wrap-Inflammation-Multicolor/dp/B01CR00XSE

Sorry if I’m repeating previous suggestions, but:

Grabbers to pick stuff up while you can’t bend at the waist. Get two!

Shower seat.

Loo seat lifter seat.

Little bag to carry phone and painkillers around.

Thing to help you put socks on - cheap and cheerful from Amazon!

She’ll get as much, possibly more, equipment from a private hospital than from an NHS one. I bought a sock putter-on, and a grabber, but my private hospital would have provided them if I had not. They also gave me a raised loo seat, crutches and a walking stick.

OP, find out if she can have anti-coagulant injections rather than compression socks, as they are a bugger to manage after a hip replacement.

I found a plastic bag on the front (passenger, obviously!) seat of the car useful for swivelling into place for the drive back from hospital, and for car journeys for a while after my op. And as a PP said, another for the bed.

Raised loo seat for sure, grabber (helping hand) with a magnet, sock putter-on. Ask if any or all of these will be provided before you buy them.

Wipes, and a long handled sponge (with a curved not straight handle) were useful early on.

Before she goes in, make sure that her toenails are short - it was weeks before I could cut mine easily and I hated asking for help with that.

Left it too long to edit: I found step in shoes (I had Skechers) invaluable. For otber shoes, a long handled shoe horn would be helpful.

Just to say I had no pain at all after the op and occupational health should be assessing the home and providing necessary equipment. We bought two long handled grabbers so I could pick things up. Using a tote bag or rucksack is useful for carrying things about.

I’ve had both hips done, no pain with either. Home alone the following day then it’s just doing all the exercises as told.

Getting in and out of bed was the most awkward thing, I was supplied with a “leg lifter” which was much needed. I rearranged my kitchen cupboards so nothing I needed in the first month was too low down. I found it very useful to have a grabber upstairs and another one downstairs- also for those occasions when you drop the grabber and need to pick it up.

For me my essentials were an extra pillow to have between my knees at night, and a large cross body bag so I could move things around the house while my hands were taken up with crutches. I could also make a flask of tea and transport it from the kitchen to the sofa this way.

My pain levels were low, apart from during physio as everything was so tight and stiff, and I stopped all pain meds on day 2 (I remained in hospital for five days). I really didn't sleep well not being able to change sides in the night.

My mum had hers at the end of January.

As said previously, she cannot have any pain or anti inflamm meds as she's allergic to everything so she had to go cold turkey with the pain!!

But she's already driving, mucking out and walking her (little) dog 45 mins a day. She's 75 in a couple of weeks so she's smashing it!
Other than aches from using muscles that have been dormant for a while, whilst she's getting fit, she has no issues. Obviously she's still not allowed to bend fully but she has a grabber at home and at the stables, and tall mucking out equipment so she can pretty much stay upright.