Skilled nursing is needed to aid recovery period following major surgery, wound, accident or operation demands excessive care and nourishment. As the body strives to return back to normal, it needs adequate care, support, exercise, and moral strength. Slowly and steadily, as the patient makes efforts to resume his/her routine, efficient recovery can ensure effective results. Post-operative care does not involve exercises or movements alone, it also demands proper medication, a balanced diet, and enough rest. Skilled nursing either at home or at a nursing facility can ensure the accomplishment of all these goals. When these aspects are delivered in adequate amounts, the outcome leads to a happy and healthy patient.
When a major surgery or operation is involved, the hospital staff ensures excellent care and supervision from admission to discharge. With a skilled team of doctors, nurses, physicians, nutritionists, and other para-medical facilities, everything is taken care of without any worries for the patient or the family. The real challenge begins after discharge. As soon as the patient is sent home, it can lead to anxieties with the fear of another major trouble or difficulties during recovery. Younger individuals can resume back due to a stronger body, but our older patients need more care, support, and assistance. Owing to their old age and weak body, it becomes essential to provide excellent post-operative care, making it quite easy to return back to a normal schedule.
Skilled nursing following a major operation or surgery ensures the right kind of care. With their training and experience, qualified nurses provide all the necessary supervision and assistance. They aid in the provision of medicines, administration of injections, and ensure adequate nutrition with a well-balanced diet.
This kind of skilled nursing can be possible through two options:
- Skilled nursing facilities or nursing homes
- Skilled nursing at home by home health care team
The aim of both these services is adequate to support and care for full recovery. It involves pain management, light exercises and movement, medical supervision, and assistance of diet. The only difference is the location of the services.
If seniors prefer the warmth and comfort of their own home over an outside facility, one can avail the service of licensed nurses qualified to form the home health care team. On the other hand, skilled nursing facilities or nursing homes are dedicated living communities with 24-hour nurses and care providers.
Before choosing the right option for our elders, it is important to focus on their individual needs. Type of surgery, level of independence, restriction of movement, and kind of medical supervision determine the appropriate choice.
Nursing homes
These dedicated residential facilities ensure medical assistance for post-operative care. They employ a team of skilled medical professionals with nurses, physiotherapists, and occupational therapists to ensure a slow and steady process of recovery. They also provide well-balanced meals in accordance with the dietary requirements of the patients.
Major factors of nursing homes are:
- A 24-hour dedicated team of nurses to attend emergencies
- Licensed nurses for giving medicines, administering injections, routine examination of blood pressure, pulse, temperature and drawing blood for regular checkups.
- Nurses also assist in pain management and dressing of wounds
- A team of physiotherapists for light exercises, movement such as walking indoors and outdoors, balancing, holding lightweight
- Occupational therapists for a slow transition to a normal routine, coordination of actions, solving simple mental puzzles
- A team of doctors to attend emergencies or a dedicated care team that communicates with the doctors in hospitals.
- Care providers to provide timely meals with focus over dietary needs.
- Wellness and social well-being through activities such as meditation, aromatherapy, natural therapy, outdoor activities, hobbies, meetings, games
- Skilled nursing at home
This involves a team of home health care services who attend to the medical care, support, and assistance at the residence of the patient. With a team of licensed nurses, caregivers and therapists as needed, they ensure a smooth transition to a normal routine.
- Skilled nurses for providing medicines, injections, wound dressing, blood tests, and routine check-ups
- Duration can be short term supervision or long term depending on the needs of the patient
- The home health care team may involve a caregiver for light housekeeping, companionship and overall moral support of the patients.
- The caregivers can assist in activities of daily living (ADLs) such as feeding, movement, dressing, depending on the needs of the patients
- A routine visit by physiotherapist and occupational therapist for exercises and light movement.
With an underlying focus on full recovery and independence, skilled nursing for post-operative care is necessary. It eliminates the overwhelming confusion that follows a major surgery or operation. Immediate withdrawal of constant supervision from the hospital can lead to further complications hence assistance of nurses can prevent any of these troubles.
As they toil towards the return of normal routine, skilled nursing can be the perfect timely support needed at the right moment.
