Will my aunt be ok home alone after knee replacement surgery?

[Ketley67]

She lives alone, is insistent she’ll be fine but I’m wondering if I should make plans to stay with her after the operation? I live 4 hours away currently and I’m the nearest relative.

Has the hospital put a discharge care plan in place? Does she have a downstairs loo? Things like this need thinking about

Don’t know about a hospital discharge plan. She has downstairs loo, stair lift and shower room.

It depends how mobile she is usually - my Mum was fine, she had crutches to get about initially and was able to get up and downstairs on her bum. She was 69 though and fairly spritely for her age so recovered quite quickly.

No one can answer this, but a relative of mine had it done last year, how old is she, can she walk with crutches or a zimmer frame.

as long as she clears a path, is able to take medication, move , and I’d say have someone check in daily with her, she could be fine.

she could also book into a nursing home for a week, or hire a carer.

Sometimes people say don't stay because the don't want to feel that they are inconveniencing others. I would guess that's it better to have someone staying the first few days which can be very painful. Knowing someone is there to fetch cups of tea etc. Do simple meals. Give a bit of sympathy would probably make her feel safer.
Usually there is also the option of 4 care visits a day for 6 weeks so you would probably only need to stay a few days.

If she has a stair lift, is there a reason for this, is she quite elderly with other mobility issues?

Stay with her a couple of nights op and see how she gets on. I would have been scared on my oWn at first , feeling ill and having a leg like a log of wood. I don't know how she will manage the stair lift without bending her leg for example.

I had mine done last year, I'm 62. The first week is agony and it's hard getting around. Would it be possible to set her up a bed downstairs for the first week? You can't bend the operated knee much to begin with, so is she able to use the stair lift with her leg stretched out a bit? Although I could get around with crutches, and I could stand and prep food and stuff, it's then difficult to get the food/drink to where you want to sit and eat. Some people use those old fashioned tea trollies with wheels to move stuff back and forth, as you can use them as a walker.

The hospital should be assessing her home set up, especially if she lives alone. Mine wanted measurements of everything, from the height of the bed, the sofa, the toilet etc and they can provide a frame to help rising from the toilet, or lifts to go under sofa or bed feet to raise them up slightly.

My MIL has had two knee replacements in recent years and her husband was there to do the bulk of the care.
Her main issues were managing the pain and standing for any period of time with crutches so things like cooking, washing and washing dishes were problematic.
I’m not sure she could have managed without him.
You are a very long way from her so I’m not sure there is much you can do.
The road to recovery is very long and worse than a hip replacement so I believe.
Presumably the hospital know her home set up and have planned accordingly, she may get more regular visits from the district nursing team as a result.

She should have one somewhere.

An Occupational Therapist should have attended her property and made an assessment of her ability to cope. From that it can be determined what level of support she needs.

The District Nursing Service should be aware of any dressings that need changing and removal of stitches/staples and should visit to attend to this.

Usually vulnerable people who are discharged from hospital (well, in my area anyway), are given support from Social Services for 4 weeks afterwards. That's help with shopping, cleaning, washing, dressing, help with basic meals etc..basically Home Help services.

This may help - https://www.healthwatch.co.uk/advice-and-information/2025-09-22/hospital-discharge-what-you-need-know

Unlikely they'll agree to a same day discharge without anyone at home for the first night or to collect her, particularly if she's had general anaesthetic

Will she be able to cook etc? If she is on crutches will she be able to get something out the fridge and carry it to the table or worktop?

I wouldn't have thought so unless carers are visiting regularly. It's possible to have respite care in a nursing home for a couple of weeks - maybe that would be an option. I wouldn't like to think of my aunt potentially unable to reach her painkillers or getting mixed up about what she can take when. Even accessing a drink.

The Occupational Therapist should have been and assessed the layout of her home and judged her ability to cope.
They may need to arrange extra handrails etc. and loan of aids like these -

https://www.manageathome.co.uk/products/nrs-home-helper-wheeled-trolley_18776_brown?AdGroup=Assetless&AdGroupId=1252345061559209&AdId=78271694489115&Campaign=[GH]+-+Pmax+-+Assetless+-+Tier+2&CampaignId=710453541&Network=o&identifiers=pla-2330071298043696&msclkid=af2e5a9c4fbd131a2b9430ec18508918&variant=55789742293317

Oh I really eouldn't say so. My dad has had 2, even the first when he was you ger he realky struggled and wouldnt have coped alone. The second, the recovery was awful.

I've had both knees done, five years apart. I was in for four days each time and not allowed to leave until I could manage the stairs. The pain was awful, particularly for the second op. My DH was at home to help and I couldn't have managed without him. I presume that the hospital has sorted out things like raised toilets, chairs, etc, height of her bed? I know I had to have several appliances at home.

I second what PP said wrt meals, drinks, etc, it's a huge effort at first to even stand up, so I would say someone to help at home is a must.

What has the surgeon said? She does need to move around, tho. Sometimes, overly kind relatives don't help, because they run after the patient, fetching drinks etc. The key thing after knee surgery is to get moving - not just the physio exercises, but normal movement around the house.

I doubt it. If she lives alone the discharge team need to be told it's an unsafe discharge. Your aunt should be getting carers come in several times a day or a few weeks in residential care, both funded by NHS.

I’m into week 10post op TKR and had my daughter staying when my DH had to be away at week 3 . apart from it being wonderful to have her with me anyway she did the cooking shopping and laundry. I don’t have much of a freezer so food shopping is helpful . DH is always reluctant to have online shopping so I did have one delivery after he left but putting it away would have been difficult . Getting the milk and eggs in as we have a farm delivery would also have been pretty impossible. Organisation is the key and large freezer would have helped. I would offer help and stay with your aunt. I’m only just now standing cooking as I previously dragged a chair around the kitchen. I drove at week 4 and managed a bath as soon as my dressing and staples were out. The one thing I did learn is that it’s very different for everyone .

When dm had her hip done a few months ago, the drugs regime really needed assistance. The pain killers made her too woozy to remeber it, even with alarms. DSis moved in for 3 weeks.

My dm has had both done over the last couple of years and the second one I stayed with her has my dad had died in the meantime. I stayed two nights and she would not have been discharged alone (she'd spent one night in hospital as well). I'd echo what the PP said above about needing to keep moving - that was certainly my dm's philosophy. As soon as we got home she scared the life out of me by going upstairs and back down immediately and snapping at me not to hover. She said she would never have done it otherwise. Although I was there she did a bit of walking around the house, interspersed with resting, and wasn't using the sticks by the time I left. She's 80.

I think people vary but she may well be ok after the first day or two. Also helps if there's plenty of money to order in food etc as that makes things a lot easier.

No, the house was kitted out when she bought it.

My DM had her knee done when she was 80, she had 2 nights in hospital then discharged, no support package was offered that I’m aware of, or she might have refused it 🙄. She insisted she didn’t need any help, she was able to make herself a cup of tea and light meal, she lives in a bungalow so no stairs to deal with, didn’t want anyone staying the night with her.

When I took her for a check up a week or so later she gave the crutches back as she was able to walk fine without them.