Post-surgery care at home
For the weeks after an operation or fracture — wound care, mobility, medicines and a clear escalation plan.
What it is
Post-surgery care at home covers the period between discharge and normal life: wound checks, medicines on a tapering schedule, safe movement, nutrition, and knowing which symptoms mean a call to the doctor.
The single most valuable thing a family can do is arrange care before the discharge day. Equipment bought in a hurry, a caregiver met for the first time on the day of arrival, and discharge instructions recalled from memory are the three ingredients of a bad first week.
The clinical part usually needs a nurse for the first days — dressing changes, injections, drain care — and an attendant for everything else. Agree who does what before you leave the hospital.
Who it is for
- Anyone discharged after orthopaedic surgery, hip or knee replacement, or a fracture.
- Post-abdominal surgery where lifting and mobility are restricted.
- Someone with sutures, staples, a drain or a wound that needs monitoring.
- Seniors discharged after cardiac or abdominal procedures where the family works during the day.
What the caregiver does and does not do
Should be able to
- Wound and dressing care as instructed, with a written schedule.
- Medicines on time, including pain relief and blood thinners, against a printed list.
- Safe transfer and walking progression — usually with a walker first.
- Fall prevention: clear floors, grab bars, no loose rugs, night lighting.
- Nutrition, hydration and bowel routine.
- Watching for warning signs and escalating to the doctor.
Must not
- Change the surgery or dressing schedule on their own.
- Remove sutures or staples.
- Allow lifting, bending or driving against written instructions.
- Ignore a fever, a discharging wound or increasing pain.
Typical qualifications and training to ask for
- A qualified nurse for the first days of dressing and drain care.
- A physiotherapist for a supervised movement plan — early movement prevents complications better than rest alone.
- A trained attendant for daily living once the clinical part settles.
- Ask each of them what they will do, and write the three roles on one page.
Typical cost range
Post-surgery needs change quickly. Many families start with attendant care plus two or three nurse visits a week (placeholder: ₹500–₹1,500 a visit) and reduce both as mobility returns. Budget for four to six weeks rather than one.
| Hours | Smaller town | Tier-2 city | Tier-1 city | Metro city |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| a few hours a day | ₹8,000–₹13,000 | ₹9,000–₹15,000 | ₹10,000–₹18,000 | ₹12,000–₹20,000 |
| 8–12 hours a day | ₹15,000–₹25,000 | ₹18,000–₹30,000 | ₹21,000–₹35,000 | ₹24,000–₹40,000 |
| 24x7 live-in | ₹30,000–₹42,000 | ₹35,000–₹50,000 | ₹40,000–₹58,000 | ₹45,000–₹65,000 |
Indicative price. Placeholder bands pending a provider survey. Prices vary by agency, experience, language and urgency. Last updated 10 October 2026.
Warning signs that a higher level of care is needed
- Fever above the level the surgeon mentioned, or shivering.
- A wound that is red, hot, leaking or smells.
- Calf pain, swelling in one leg, or sudden breathlessness.
- Vomiting that prevents medicines from staying down.
- A fall in the first two weeks — tell the surgeon, do not wait.
- Keep these written on paper near the phone so nobody has to remember them at 11pm.
If several of these appear together, the need has usually moved to Dementia / high-dependency caregiver. The matcher will confirm it from your answers.
How to hire safely
- Confirm the equipment before discharge: hospital bed, commode chair, walker, raised seat.
- Collect a written medication list and the follow-up appointment dates.
- Start the caregiver two days before discharge so they can be briefed.
- Agree who handles what: nurse, attendant, physiotherapist, family.
- Book the first follow-up before you leave the hospital.
The full hiring checklist and the questions to ask an agency go deeper on verification, references and replacement terms.
FAQ
Common questions about post-surgery care at home
How soon after discharge should a caregiver start?
Ideally two days before discharge, so they can be briefed in the hospital or at home and the first night is not improvised.
Does my parent need a nurse or an attendant after surgery?
If there is a wound needing dressing, a drain, injections or catheter care, you need a nurse for those tasks. Once they are settled, a trained attendant plus scheduled visits is usually enough.
How long does post-surgery care usually last?
It varies with the operation, but four to six weeks is a common planning window, with the intensity highest in the first fortnight. Review at two weeks rather than assuming the original plan still fits.
Next step
Is this the level your family needs?
Six questions, about two minutes. You will see the care level, a fair price range for your city, and what the caregiver may and may not do.