Home health after hip replacement may include ordered physical therapy, skilled nursing, or other services when the patient has an appropriate skilled need and meets applicable requirements. Care should follow the surgeon’s specific activity, weight-bearing, incision, medication, and movement instructions.
No general article can determine which precautions apply. Surgical approach, medical history, function, home setup, and the surgeon’s plan all matter.
Prepare the home before discharge
Create clear routes between the bed, bathroom, main chair, kitchen, and exit. Remove loose rugs, cords, clutter, and other trip hazards. Place commonly used items where the patient can reach them without unsafe bending or twisting.
Confirm whether the patient needs:
- a walker, cane, or crutches;
- a firm chair with arms;
- bathroom rails, a shower chair, or a raised toilet seat;
- a bedroom and bathroom on the same floor; or
- help with meals, transportation, bathing, and errands.
Ask the surgical team to verify the equipment and setup for this individual.
What home physical therapy may address
The therapist may assess walking, balance, transfers, strength, endurance, pain, device use, and the home environment. Practice may involve:
- getting in and out of bed;
- standing from the patient’s own chair;
- walking safely along everyday routes;
- managing thresholds and stairs when appropriate;
- using the ordered device correctly; and
- following the surgeon’s individualized exercise and movement instructions.
Caregivers should ask for hands-on instruction before assisting with transfers or exercises. A technique that is appropriate for one patient may be unsafe for another.
When a nurse may visit
If skilled nursing is ordered, a nurse may assess the patient, reinforce medication and symptom education, perform ordered care, monitor the incision or dressing within the plan, and communicate relevant changes. The surgeon or authorized prescriber directs changes to treatment or medication.
MedlinePlus advises following the surgeon’s specific dressing and incision instructions and watching for signs of infection. Do not add a product, remove a dressing, or change the routine unless the patient’s care team has directed it.
Questions to have ready
- What weight-bearing and movement instructions apply?
- Which chair, bed height, and bathroom setup are safest?
- Which device should be used indoors, outdoors, and on stairs?
- What should the patient practice between visits?
- Which pain, swelling, incision, breathing, or mobility changes require a call?
- When are the surgeon and outpatient therapy follow-ups?
Know when to escalate
Use the surgeon’s written instructions for increasing redness, drainage, fever, worsening pain or swelling, a fall, or another concerning change. Call 911 for severe breathing difficulty, chest pain, signs of stroke, loss of consciousness, or another emergency.
Read about physical therapy at home, skilled nursing, and post-surgical home care. For a related recovery pathway, see home health after knee replacement and what home physical therapy looks like.
This article is general education and does not replace individualized medical advice, diagnosis, treatment, the surgeon’s instructions, or emergency care. Eligibility, admission, and coverage are determined individually. Contact intake for referral-process questions.