Patient & Carer
Returning to activity
After their hospital stays, Rapid Recovery patients will have a series of weekly goals to attain. The following goals are designed to assist Rapid Recovery patients with a safe and gradual return to activities of daily living.
The following examples should only be used as a guide for understanding how most patients progress after surgery. Always follow your surgeon‘s instructions and never perform an activity without permission from your surgeon.
1-2 Weeks Goals
After two to three days, patients should be ready for discharge from the hospital. Most joint patients go directly home, but some may go to a rehabilitation center for 3 to 6 days. During the first two weeks of recovery, the daily Rapid Recovery goals include:
- Continue with cane or walker unless otherwise instructed.
- Walk at least 300 feet with support.
- Climb and descend a flight of stairs (12 to 14 steps) with a rail once a day.
- Independently sponge bathe or shower (after staples are removed) and dress.
- Gradually resume homemaking tasks.
- Do 20 minutes of home exercises twice a day, with or without the therapist, from the prescribed program.
2-4 Weeks Goals
Patients will experience a greater return to independence during weeks two through four. Some of the Rapid Recovery goals for the period include:
- Achieve one to two-week goals.
- Wean from full support to a cane or single crutch as instructed.
- Walk at least 1/4 mile.
- Climb and descend a flight of stairs (12 to 14 steps) more than once daily.
- Independently shower and dress.
- Resume homemaking tasks.
- Do 20 minutes of home exercises twice a day with or without the therapist.
- Begin driving. Patients will need permission from their therapist and have discontinued the use of narcotic pain medications.
4-6 Weeks Goals
Weeks four through six will see much more recovery to full independence. The home exercise program will be even more important as patients receive less supervised therapy. The Rapid Recovery goals for this time period include:
- Achieve one to four-week goals.
- Walk with a cane or single crutch.
- Walk 1/2 mile.
- Begin progressing on stair from one foot at a time to regular stair climbing (foot over foot).
- Drive a car.
- Continue with home exercise program twice a day.
6-12 Weeks Goals
During weeks six through 12, patients should be able to begin resuming all normal low-impact activities. The Rapid Recovery goals for this time period include:
- Achieve prior goals.
- Walk with no cane or crutch and without a limp.
- Climb and descend stairs in normal fashion (foot over foot).
- Walk one mile.
- Improve strength to 80%.
- Resume all activities including slow dancing, bowling, golf, doubles tennis, swimming, and traveling.
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