Joint replacement surgery has moved fast in the last decade. People now go home a day or two after an operation that used to mean a week in hospital, which is better for recovery and considerably harder on the household that receives them.
The first two weeks are the ones that matter. Almost everything that goes wrong after a joint replacement — a fall, a wound infection, a stiff knee that never regains its range — traces back to those two weeks.
What actually matters in the first fortnight
- The exercises are the operation. A knee that is not moved in the first weeks stiffens, and no amount of later effort fully recovers it.
- Hip precautions — not bending past ninety degrees, not crossing the legs, not twisting — govern how a person sits, sleeps, washes and uses the toilet.
- Stairs and the bathroom are where the falls happen, and a fall onto a new joint is the outcome everyone is trying to avoid.
- The wound needs watching for redness, heat, discharge and swelling that is increasing rather than settling.
- Blood clots are the other risk. New calf pain or swelling, or breathlessness, needs medical attention the same day.
How we help
- Being there for the first days home, which is when most households discover the plan they made was optimistic
- Supporting the exercise programme the surgeon and physiotherapist set, daily rather than weekly
- Keeping the hip precautions actually observed — the chair height, the toilet frame, how to get in and out of bed
- Washing and dressing help, including the things nobody can do after a hip replacement, such as socks and shoes
- Making stairs and the bathroom safe, and being present for the trips that carry the most risk
- Watching the wound and reporting changes early
- Meals, shopping and housework through the weeks when standing and carrying are not sensible
- Transport to physiotherapy and the surgical follow-up appointment
Who provides the care
Personal support workers provide this care. Where staples or a dressing need attention, that is nursing and we place an RN or RPN. We do not set or change exercise programmes — we support the one your physiotherapist has given you.
Common questions
How long do most people need help?
Commonly two to four weeks, heavier at the start and tapering. People living alone, and people who had both joints done, usually need longer. There is no minimum commitment, so it is normal to book more than you think and reduce it.
Can you arrange it before the operation?
Yes, and that is the right time to call. Surgery dates are known weeks in advance, and arranging care beforehand is far easier than arranging it the afternoon someone is discharged.
Can you do the exercises with him?
We support the programme the physiotherapist set — prompting it, timing it, counting, and being there so someone actually does it on the days they do not feel like it. We do not prescribe or change it.
What do you watch for at the wound?
Increasing redness, heat, swelling that is growing rather than shrinking, discharge, a bad smell, or a fever. Any of those get reported to you and your surgical team the same day.
Is home care after joint surgery funded?
Sometimes. Ontario Health atHome can arrange publicly funded support after surgery for people who qualify, and the hospital’s discharge planner is the person to ask. Private hours are commonly used to fill the gaps in what is offered.
Where we provide this care
We provide this support across 146 communities in Ontario, from the Greater Toronto Area to Thunder Bay. If your town is not listed, call us — we will tell you honestly whether we can staff it properly rather than promising and then failing to turn up.
Related
- Falls and fractures
- Wound care
- Ostomy, catheter and continence
- Home care — what it covers
- Respite care for family carers
- 24-hour home care
- All 146 communities we serve
Not sure what you need? That is the normal starting point. A free consultation is a conversation about what is actually happening at home — no charge, no obligation, and we will point you at publicly funded care first where you may qualify for it.