Info for Family Members & Caregivers

Is someone coming to stay with you during your surgery? Or are you traveling to be with a friend or family member near our hospital? How can your coach help you? 

• Your coach can play an important part in the process, supporting you emotionally and logistically, helping you make decisions, and communicating with other concerned friends and family members about how you are doing.
   
• Your coach is expected to be present the following morning at 8:00 am. Going through a surgery and being on pain medications can make this experience a little overwhelming, so having the Joint Camp Coach present the morning after surgery allows an extra set of eyes and ears to help process discharge instructions and what is expected. 
   
• We can also help you and your family find local accommodations if your situation calls for it. Please contact our orthopedic department for more information.
   
• Share our Joint Replacement support messages and this article with the coach who will be with you on surgery day and during your first days back home.  We hope these things will help them prepare for what’s ahead.
   
• Perhaps one of the most helpful things your coach can do is be there when you are talking with your surgeon and other care providers during doctor visits, during joint camp therapy, sessions after the surgery. It’s good to have another set of ears—both to offer perspective and to help you remember what was said. As the patient, you are focused more on how you’re feeling than on what’s being said to you. Your coach also can help you communicate to your care providers.

• If you stay the night in the hospital with us, discharge will happen the morning after surgery so make sure you plan accordingly to have a ride home. Once you have met with Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, and the Ortho Navigator, your nurse will be getting you ready to discharge. This is all done before lunch time. 

Coach / Caregiver FAQS

► How long will my out-of-town coach / caregiver need to stay?
While we will send you home when you can care for yourself, having a caregiver at home is sometimes a good idea. If no one local is available to drive you or do errands for you, how long your caregiver stays will depend mostly on your need to be driven, since you will not be able to drive for several weeks after your surgery. 

► When can I return home if I am being cared for out of town?
You must be well enough to travel. Discuss the details of your individual care with your surgeon.

► How can my coach / caregiver help me while I am in the hospital?
In the hospital, your coach / caregiver can:

• Prepare questions ahead of time
• Help make decisions
• Offer emotional support and ease your anxieties.

Finally, coaches / caregivers should also remember to take care of themselves, which helps them be at their best for you!

This service is not intended to provide individual medical advice, which should only be obtained directly from a qualified physician or healthcare professional. Your personal information will never be used for any purpose other than to help educate and support you. You may opt out at any time with no effect to the delivery of your care or health benefits.