By JointReplacement.com

As a caregiver for a joint replacement surgery patient, you are an enormous and essential part of the surgical experience. This means that you may be involved in all kinds of medical situations at home, from managing medications to reporting health concerns to the doctor. Good communication between you and your loved one’s healthcare team is crucial.

The joint replacement surgeon is the best person to answer questions about your joint replacement surgery,” says Brenda Clapp, MSN, RNCS, nurse practitioner for David Fisher, M.D., with OrthoIndy, in Indianapolis, IN. Clapp interacts every day with caregivers of joint replacement patients. “Each patient is different, and the surgeon and staff can advise and answer the patient’s questions based on that specific patient’s needs and problems.”

Clapp notes that most surgeons provide written instructions before surgery, and patients should follow the instructions exactly. Clapp also suggests that caregivers read the instructions and be as knowledgeable as the patient is about them. If there is something in the instructions that you as a caregiver don’t understand, call the surgeon.

Clapp suggests calling any member of your loved one’s healthcare team any time you have concerns, before or after the surgery. In many surgeons’ offices, basic questions may be answered by a surgery nurse or physician’s assistant; in other cases the doctor will field the call.

Clapp says, “We encourage our patients and their family members or caregivers to call, even if it’s just to talk about the surgery a little bit, so they feel comfortable with their decision to have joint replacement surgery.”

Good communication between caregiver and patient is also an essential part of good communications with the healthcare team. A discussion between caregiver and patient about the role each will play during the joint replacement surgery experience, including who will be the primary contact with the healthcare team, should take place early in the process. This conversation is particularly important when traditional family roles may be reversed, for example a middle-aged caregiver caring for an aging parent.

By keeping these lines of communication open, you can help your loved one recover from joint replacement surgery.