Project basic patient care

Preparatory Components to patient care activities:

Review patient’s chart to ensure accuracy and for other possible medical conditions. Have a Gait Belt on hand ready for the transfer after bed mobility, and a couple of pillows that will be placed between the patient's legs prior to bed mobility. Check the bed for any lines such as but not limited to a foley and or IV. 

Procedures to activity:

Introduce yourself to the patient and ask for consent prior to treating the patient and inform of the bed mobility activity you will be performing. Place a couple of pillows or a wedge in between patient’s legs to avoid any adduction past the midline. Remind the patient that they are unable to bend their hips past 90 degrees, to avoid adduction of the affected hip past the midline, and to avoid internal/medial rotation. Also ask the patient to help you out as much as possible throughout the session to promote independence and rehabilitation. After reminding the patient of the standard precautions, ask that they bring their arms to their sides, dig their elbows into the bed, and come up into long sitting. Remind them not to sit up all the way to avoid that hip flexion past 90 degrees. Count off to 3 and repeat the digging of elbows while bringing their rear off the bed and scooting towards the edge of the bed. Always guard their affected side, holding it in proper alignment throughout the bed mobility exercise. Once the patient gets to the edge of the bed, they can sit up as long as the leg of their affected side is extended off the bed and placed on the ground, again always avoiding hip flexion past 90 degrees. Ask the patient how they are feeling, making sure they aren’t having an episode of orthostatic hypotension, then continue by pulling out your GAIT belt and properly fitting it around the patient’s waist, depending on the lines. Patient is now in Sitting position ready to continue with a transfer if it is in the plan of care. 

How the patient can care of himself at home:

It is very important that the patient be very careful with his new joint after have a total hip replacement surgery. Physiotherapy exercises will be very beneficial, and following the appropriate precautions the recovery will be much faster. Keeping the hip in safe positions is very important in recovery. Be very careful with the movements of the legs and feet, these increase the risk of the hip dislocating again.

The precautions you can take at home always have to keep them in mind, keep your fingers pointing forward and parallel your feet, do not turn your foot inward, and do not take any step back. The knees always apart without crossing the legs. Do not lean the trunk forward when you sit or get up, not flex the hip to more than 90 degrees, this precaution is very important. Nor does it sit on low surfaces. Under no circumstances cross the sitting legs, or the ankles while lying down. Placing a pillow in between both legs will be very useful. Climb stairs slowly, always supporting the unaffected leg first, use crutches or canes. To go down the stairs first use the affected leg as support. If you drive or travel by car, stop every two hours to stretch your legs and walk. Follow the exercises indicated by your doctor, if it hurts or has any type of discomfort, stop and reduce the effort, but do not stop doing them.