{"id":7618,"date":"2026-09-21T17:19:49","date_gmt":"2026-09-21T17:19:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.visiting-angels.co.uk\/cheshire-east\/?p=7618"},"modified":"2026-09-21T17:44:14","modified_gmt":"2026-09-21T17:44:14","slug":"care-after-hip-or-knee-replacement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.visiting-angels.co.uk\/cheshire-east\/care-after-hip-or-knee-replacement\/","title":{"rendered":"Care after a hip or knee replacement in Cheshire East"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Quick summary<\/b><\/h3>

Six weeks of no driving, restrictions on how far you can bend, and nobody to make lunch. That is the bit the pre-op leaflet can miss. Most people need help for two to six weeks with washing, dressing, shopping and cooking. Ask about free reablement before you pay for anything.<\/span><\/p>

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What the six weeks actually look like<\/b><\/h3>

The NHS advice after a hip replacement includes waiting at least six weeks before driving, checking with a doctor that you are fit to do so, and returning to work when you feel ready, which usually takes about six weeks depending on the job. A follow-up appointment normally comes at around six to twelve weeks (<\/span>NHS, Recovering from a hip replacement<\/span><\/a>).<\/span><\/p>

Six weeks of not driving, in Wincle or Meerbrook or Chelford, is not the same problem as six weeks of not driving in the middle of Macclesfield.<\/span><\/p>

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Hip precautions, and why they matter at home<\/b><\/h3>

After many hip replacements, surgeons ask patients to avoid certain movements to reduce the risk of dislocation. The common ones are not bending the hip past 90 degrees, not crossing the legs or the midline, not lifting the knee above the hip, and not twisting the leg or waist.<\/span><\/p>

How long they apply varies. Leeds Teaching Hospitals gives six weeks or longer for some people; the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital gives six to twelve weeks depending on the stability of the hip after surgery. <\/span>Not every surgeon uses precautions, and the ones who do do not all use the same ones<\/b>, so follow the instructions from the team that operated.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Translate the restriction into the house. Not bending past 90 degrees means no reaching the floor, no low cupboards, no low chairs, no low toilet, no putting socks on, no getting things out of the oven, no picking up the post.<\/span><\/p>

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Everyday task<\/b><\/p><\/th>

Why it becomes hard<\/b><\/p><\/th>

What usually solves it<\/b><\/p><\/th><\/tr><\/thead>

Putting on socks and shoes<\/span><\/p><\/td>

Requires bending well past 90 degrees<\/span><\/p><\/td>

Sock aid, long-handled shoe horn, or someone doing it<\/span><\/p><\/td><\/tr>

Using the toilet<\/span><\/p><\/td>

Standard seats sit too low<\/span><\/p><\/td>

Raised toilet seat, frame<\/span><\/p><\/td><\/tr>

Washing<\/span><\/p><\/td>

Getting in and out of a bath is out of the question<\/span><\/p><\/td>

Shower stool, perching stool, help<\/span><\/p><\/td><\/tr>

Cooking<\/span><\/p><\/td>

Cannot reach low cupboards or the oven, cannot carry while using a stick<\/span><\/p><\/td>

Move things to waist height beforehand. Someone to prepare meals<\/span><\/p><\/td><\/tr>

Shopping<\/span><\/p><\/td>

No driving for around six weeks. Cannot carry bags<\/span><\/p><\/td>

Delivery, or someone to shop<\/span><\/p><\/td><\/tr>

Getting up from a chair<\/span><\/p><\/td>

Low, soft seating is unusable<\/span><\/p><\/td>

Firm upright chair with arms, raised on blocks if needed<\/span><\/p><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>

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Knee replacements are different<\/b><\/h3>

Knees do not usually come with dislocation precautions, so the bending restrictions are less of an issue. What knees demand instead is exercise, and a lot of it.<\/span><\/p>

Recovery depends heavily on doing the physiotherapy exercises properly and often, and on regaining the ability to straighten and bend the joint. Swelling lasts longer than people expect, and pain during exercise is a normal part of it in a way that alarms families.<\/span><\/p>

The practical implication: after a knee, the help someone needs is often less about lifting and more about having the time and space to do the exercises, plus somebody making the lunch while they do.<\/span><\/p>

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Do the preparation before the operation<\/b><\/h3>