Home Care After Hip or Knee Replacement: A Week-by-Week Recovery Guide

Most people go home within a day or two of hip or knee replacement surgery, and many go home the same day. The first two weeks are when help matters most: getting in and out of bed, showering safely, preparing meals, managing medications, and getting to follow-up appointments. Many older adults need a caregiver for several hours a day, or overnight, during the first one to three weeks, then less as strength returns. Planning help before surgery makes recovery safer and smoother.

Joint replacement is one of the most common and successful surgeries for older adults. But with shorter hospital stays, more of the recovery now happens at home, and the first weeks can be harder than families expect. Pain, fatigue, a walker, and restrictions on bending or twisting make everyday tasks difficult and raise the risk of falls. Planning home care after knee replacement or help at home after hip replacement before surgery day makes the first two weeks of recovery much safer.

This guide explains what recovery looks like week by week, what help your parent will need, and how to prepare the home. Always follow the surgeon’s and physical therapist’s specific instructions, which vary by procedure.

What does recovery at home look like after joint replacement?

• Days 1 to 3 home
  • What’s typical: Pain, fatigue, walker for all movement
  • Help usually needed: Someone present most of the day and night; help with toileting, showering, meals
• Week 1 to 2
  • What’s typical: Home or outpatient physical therapy begins; swelling
  • Help usually needed: Several hours per day; rides to appointments; exercise encouragement
• Weeks 3 to 6
  • What’s typical: Walking improves; may switch from walker to cane
  • Help usually needed: A few hours a day or several times a week; errands and housekeeping
• Weeks 6 to 12
  • What’s typical: Most daily activities return; driving may resume with surgeon approval
  • Help usually needed: Occasional help as needed
• 3 to 12 months
  • What’s typical: Continued strength gains
  • Help usually needed: Usually none

Knee replacement recovery often feels harder in the first weeks than hip replacement because of stiffness and the intensity of therapy, while hip replacement patients may have specific movement precautions.

What help will your parent need after surgery?

• Getting in and out of bed, chairs, and the car safely, following the therapist’s technique
• Toileting, especially at night, using a raised toilet seat
• Showering with a shower chair and handheld shower, once the surgeon allows it
• Dressing, particularly socks, shoes and pants, often with a reacher or sock aid
• Meals and hydration, since standing at the stove is tiring
• Medication reminders, including pain medication and any blood thinners
• Ice and elevation routines as instructed
• Rides to physical therapy and follow-up visits
• Encouragement to do home exercises, which strongly affect recovery
• Light housekeeping and laundry

Caregivers do not change dressings or give injections; those tasks belong to the surgeon’s team or a home health nurse. Learn about our post-surgery home care.

How do you prepare the home before surgery?

Do this one to two weeks before the surgery date:

1. Set up a bedroom on the main floor if stairs are difficult.
2. Clear wide walking paths for a walker; remove throw rugs and cords.
3. Install a raised toilet seat or toilet safety frame.
4. Add a shower chair, handheld showerhead and grab bars.
5. Move everyday items to waist-to-shoulder height.
6. Place a firm chair with armrests in the main living area.
7. Add night lights between the bedroom and bathroom.
8. Prepare or freeze easy meals.
9. Pick up equipment the surgeon recommends, such as a walker, reacher and sock aid.

How can you prevent falls during recovery?

A fall in the first weeks can damage the new joint and lead to another surgery. Reduce the risk by:

• Using the walker for every step until the therapist says otherwise
• Getting up slowly, especially at night, to avoid dizziness from pain medications
• Wearing non-slip shoes, not socks or loose slippers
• Keeping a phone or medical alert device within reach
• Having someone nearby for the first showers

If a fall does happen, see Your Parent Just Fell at Home: The First 48 Hours.

How many hours of home care are needed after joint replacement?

• Healthy, lives with a spouse who can help: 3 to 4 hours per day for the first 1 to 2 weeks
• Lives with a frail spouse: 6 to 8 hours per day plus some nights
• Lives alone: 24-hour or overnight care for the first several days, then daytime visits
• Slower recovery or other health conditions: Longer support with gradual step-down

With no minimums, Nona’s can start with more hours and step down week by week. See how many hours of home care you actually need.

Does Medicare cover help at home after joint replacement?

Medicare may cover home health physical therapy and nursing visits for a limited time if a doctor orders them and your parent is considered homebound. It does not cover non-medical caregivers for help with bathing, meals, or supervision. Many families combine Medicare home health therapy with a private caregiver. See our Medicare coverage guide.

When should you call the surgeon?

Call the surgeon’s office promptly for signs such as fever, increasing redness or drainage at the incision, new calf pain or swelling, sudden increase in joint pain, or shortness of breath. Call 911 for chest pain or trouble breathing.

What does a typical day of home care look like after joint replacement?

In the first weeks after hip or knee replacement, the day revolves around rest, exercises, pain control, and safe movement. A caregiver helps your parent follow the surgeon’s plan while handling the household tasks they cannot do yet.

• Morning: Help getting out of bed, using the bathroom, washing up, and dressing with adaptive tools. Breakfast and medication reminders.
• Late morning: Support during the exercises the physical therapist assigned, and a short walk with the walker.
• Afternoon: Lunch, rest with the leg positioned as instructed, ice if recommended, and light housekeeping and laundry.
• Evening: Dinner, another short walk, help with bathing if allowed, and preparing for a safe night with a clear path to the bathroom.

Many families schedule the most hours during the first one to two weeks, then taper as strength and confidence return.

How do you help a parent stay motivated during recovery?

Recovery from joint replacement takes weeks to months, and progress can feel slow. Pain, fatigue, and frustration can lead some people to skip exercises, which can slow healing.

Set small goals, such as walking to the mailbox or standing at the counter for a few minutes, and celebrate each one. Keep a simple chart of exercises and walks so your parent can see progress. Plan something to look forward to, like a visit from grandchildren or a short outing once the surgeon allows it. A caregiver can provide encouragement, keep the routine on track, and report concerns to the family. Home care after knee replacement is as much about support and motivation as it is about physical help.

What equipment helps most after joint replacement?

A few pieces of equipment make the first weeks much easier. Common items include a walker, a raised toilet seat or toilet safety frame, a shower chair, a long-handled sponge, a reacher, a sock aid, and a firm chair with arms. Your surgeon or physical therapist will often recommend specific items.

Get equipment set up before surgery so your parent comes home to a ready space. Ask whether Medicare or other insurance covers any of it, and practice using it before it is needed.

How do you get through the nights after joint replacement?

Nights are often the hardest part of the first two weeks. Pain medication may wear off, stiffness builds when your parent lies still, and getting up to use the bathroom in the dark is when many falls happen. Poor sleep also slows healing and makes the next day of exercises harder.

Ways to make nights safer and more restful:

• Time pain medication as directed. Ask the surgeon how to schedule doses so your parent is not waking up in significant pain.
• Set up the bathroom route. Use night lights from bed to toilet, keep the walker within reach, and consider a bedside commode for the first week.
• Follow positioning instructions. Hip and knee patients often get specific guidance about pillows and positions. Write them down and tape them near the bed.
• Ice before bed if allowed. Many surgeons recommend ice for swelling. A cold pack before sleep can help.
• Have a way to call for help. A baby monitor, phone, or bell lets your parent ask for help without getting up alone.

If no one in the family can stay overnight, an overnight caregiver for the first several nights is one of the most useful forms of home care after knee replacement or hip replacement.

How will your parent get to physical therapy?

Physical therapy is the engine of recovery, and outpatient sessions often start soon after surgery, sometimes several times a week. But your parent will likely not be cleared to drive for a while. Ask the surgeon when driving is safe; it depends on which leg had surgery, which medications your parent is taking, and how quickly strength returns.

Until then, someone has to handle the trips. Plan the schedule before surgery so no session gets missed. Things that make PT trips easier:

• A car with a seat that is not too low. Sliding a plastic bag on the seat can help your parent turn in.
• A driver who can help with the walker and the door, not just drop off at the curb.
• A cushion or pillow for longer drives, since sitting still can get stiff.
• A snack and water, because PT is tiring.

Across San Diego and Orange County, drive times to PT clinics can be long at rush hour. Booking sessions mid-morning or early afternoon often means an easier trip.

What if a spouse is the main caregiver?

Often the person doing most of the caregiving is a husband or wife who is also older and may have health issues of their own. Helping someone up from a low chair, in and out of a shower, or off the toilet takes strength and good technique. A spouse who strains their back or falls while helping creates a second emergency.

Watch for signs the spouse is stretched too thin: exhaustion, skipped meals, missed medications of their own, or irritability. Even a few hours of help each day, focused on bathing, the heaviest transfers, and meal prep, can protect both of them. Overnight help for the first few nights lets the spouse actually sleep.

Can your parent recover at home if they live alone?

Many people who live alone recover well at home, but the first week usually needs a plan. Most surgeons expect someone to be with the patient for at least the first few days. Some practical options:

• A family member stays for the first several days, then checks in daily.
• A caregiver covers mornings and evenings, the times for bathing, dressing, meals and bedtime.
• Round-the-clock help for the first few days, then stepping down to a few hours a day.

Nona’s provides home care after knee replacement and hip replacement throughout San Diego County and Orange County. Care typically starts within 24 to 48 hours, often the same day your parent comes home, with no long-term contracts and schedule changes on 24 hours’ notice as recovery moves along.

Frequently asked questions

How long will my parent need help after knee replacement? Most older adults need the most help in the first one to two weeks, with some support for up to six weeks.

Can someone live alone after hip replacement? Many can after the first week or two, but most shouldn’t be alone for the first several days.

When can my parent shower after joint replacement? It depends on the incision and dressing. Follow the surgeon’s instructions, and have someone present for the first showers.

Can a caregiver drive my parent to physical therapy? Yes. Caregivers can provide rides and stay during appointments.

Should I arrange home care before or after surgery? Before. Setting up care ahead of time avoids a rushed search on discharge day.

Home care after knee replacement: final thoughts

Home care after knee replacement or hip replacement matters most in the first one to three weeks, when getting out of bed, showering, and walking to the bathroom carry the highest fall risk. A caregiver after joint replacement helps with safe transfers, meals, medications, and rides to follow-up and therapy appointments.

Prepare the home before surgery, line up help for the first nights home, and step hours down as strength returns. How long do you need help after knee replacement? Most people need the most help for two weeks and some support for up to six. Medicare may cover home health therapy but not non-medical caregivers, which cost $40 to $50 per hour depending on the level of care. See our after-surgery home care services and how many hours of home care you actually need.