Care for joint replacement

We see many joint replacement patients at Sunninghill Recovery Lodge. This is due to the fact that we are lucky enough to be within minutes of the rooms of some of the internationally most-acclaimed orthopaedic surgeons. We see many shoulder, knee, hip, and ankle replacements. Furthermore, we often host patients who have come to SA to have previously unsuccessful surgeries corrected.

We excel in assisting you with your recovery after a joint replacement. During the first days after surgery, we are very aware of the fact that you are still recovering from the anaesthetic and that your pain is acute. We will help you monitor and alternate your pain medication in conjunction with your doctor’s instructions. Often doctors prescribe blood-thinning medicine to prevent clotting. We can help you with this simple injection or if it is taken as a tablet, will remind you to take it as prescribed.

Depending on the need and assessment of our guests, we can make sure that a trapeze bar is placed at the correct height so that guests can pull themselves up. Cot sides are also often a great help when guests want to sit up in the bed. These can be put up on one or both sides of the bed. We can furthermore provide a variety of walking aids at the Sunninghill Recovery Lodge, which can be helpful during different stages of recovery.

We know that swelling is an issue and provide and rotate ice bags as and when this is needed.

Physiotherapists are welcome to come and see you on our premises or we can arrange for our guests to go to see therapists at their practices. Strolling around our lovely gardens or doing your aqua-therapy in a sparkling pool is good for both body and soul. We encourage our guests to do their assigned exercises and we literally walk behind you every step of the way.

Because our rooms are all private and large, you can use the CPM ( continuous passive motion ) machine at leisure, speeding up your recovery. We will celebrate with you as you improve your mobility and range of motion. What might seem like something simple to many of us, can be challenging for guests who have recently undergone a joint replacement. We do not underestimate what this does to your motivation and self-esteem.

We have put everything in place to ensure safety and create ease of movement in our wheelchair-friendly rooms. We heighten the toilet for your convenience and ample grab handles are provided in your bathroom ( whilst making sure nothing looks clinical ). All our showers are spacious, allowing for a bath chair, and they have a state-of-the-art showering mechanism to assist in making your first shower post-hospital stay a glorious affair. Guests can be assisted in the bathroom if necessary, depending on individual needs and levels of recovery. Rest assured: if help is needed, our home care staff are there to assist 24/7 and will react immediately when the nurse-call button is pressed. For guests who are unable to move to the shower or toilet, we discreetly assist with a bedpan or administer a bed bath, while ensuring that your dignity is respected at all times.

Your meals will be nutrient-dense and delicious, and as we know the side effects of pain killers, we will make sure that enough fibre is included in your diet.

We rejoice in these journeys from the moment when guests arrive until they go home, enjoying renewed mobility with ease and confidence.