Going Home After Hip Replacement

Your hospital stay may last from 3 to 10 days, until you can perform certain skills you will need to use at home. If you go straight home, you will need help at home for several weeks. If going straight home is too difficult, you may need to spend some time at a rehabilitation center.

The following tips can make your homecoming easier.

In the kitchen (and in other rooms as well), place items you use frequently within reach so you do not have to reach up or bend down.

Rearrange furniture so you can get about on a walker or crutches. You may want to change rooms (make the living room your bedroom, for example) to stay off the stairs.

Get a good chair—one that is firm and has a higher-than-average seat. This type of chair is safer and more comfortable than a low, soft-cushioned chair.

Remove any throw rugs or area rugs that could cause you to slip. Securely fasten electrical cords around the perimeter of the room.

Install a shower chair, grab bar, and raised toilet in the bathroom.

Use assistive devices such as a long-handled shoehorn, a long-handled sponge, and a grabbing tool or reacher to avoid bending too far over. Wear a big-pocket shirt or soft shoulder bag for carrying things.

Set up a "recovery center" in your home, with a phone, television remote control, radio, facial tissues, wastebasket, pitcher and glass, reading materials, and medications within easy reach.


Dos and don'ts (precautions) vary depending on the orthopaedic surgeon's approach. Your doctor and physical therapist will provide you with a list of dos and don'ts to remember with your new hip. These precautions will help to prevent the new joint from dislocating and to ensure proper healing. Here are some of the most common precautions:

The Don'ts

Don't cross your legs at the knees for at least 8 weeks.
Don't bring your knee up higher than your hip.
Don't lean forward while sitting or as you sit down.
Don't try to pick up something on the floor while you are sitting.
Don't turn your feet excessively inward or outward when you bend down.
Don't reach down to pull up blankets when lying in bed.
Don't bend at the waist beyond 90°.
Don't stand pigeon-toed.
Don't kneel on the knee on the unoperated leg (the good side).
Don't use pain as a guide for what you may or may not do.

The Dos

Do keep the leg facing forward.
Do keep the affected leg in front as you sit or stand.
Do use a high kitchen or barstool in the kitchen.
Do kneel on the knee on the operated leg (the bad side).
Do use ice to reduce pain and swelling, but remember that ice will diminish sensation. Don't apply ice directly to the skin; use an ice pack or wrap it in a damp towel.
Do apply heat before exercising to assist with range of motion. Use a heating pad or hot, damp towel for 15 to 20 minutes.
Do cut back on your exercises if your muscles begin to ache, but don't stop doing them!