After hospital care at home: A family recovery guide

Key takeaways

• Post-surgery care at home helps individuals rebuild their strength, mobility, and independence in a comfortable environment. 
• Out of hospital services at home may include nursing, personal care, domestic and everyday support, allied health or a combination of these services.
• It’s common for family representatives to explore arranging out-of-hospital care on behalf of their loved ones through Mable.
• Post-surgery support booked through Mable can be arranged quickly after discharge, with no referral or waitlist.
• Payments for after hospital care at home can be made with a credit card, via direct debit or through NDIS or Support at Home government funding, if you are eligible and these types of support services are included in your plan. 

When someone you care about comes home from having had surgery, knowing how to help may feel  overwhelming. The move from hospital to home could feel sudden, and the first few days at home may be when your parent, partner or loved one needs the most support.

You might be trying to understand what they can safely do, how much help they need, whether clinical care is required, and how to balance their recovery with your own work, family and caring responsibilities.

This guide helps you understand what post-surgery support at home can involve and who it may be suitable for. It also covers how to arrange self-funded in-home support quickly and easily through Mable. Self-funded in-home support is different to government-funded programs, such as the NSW Hospital in the Home program and Out of Hospital Care. These programs are usually short-term, have eligibility requirements and are generally arranged through a hospital or health service. 

What is post-operative care at home?

Post-operative or post-surgery care at home describes the practical, personal or clinical help someone may receive during recovery in their own home. It covers the period between hospital discharge and returning to their usual level of independence.

This type of support may be short term, such as help for a few days or weeks after a procedure. It may also continue for longer if the person’s recovery is slower or their mobility has changed. This can be common for older people, particularly if they have existing health conditions that may complicate recovery.

Structured support at home may be helpful for a safer and more comfortable recovery. It can be arranged directly by the individual or their family through a platform like Mable, with no hospital referral needed or eligibility requirements. You can choose the type of support needed, connect with local independent support workers and arrange sessions around your loved one’s recovery needs.

Who is post-surgery support for?

Post-surgery support can be helpful for many people. While it’s often for those with complex clinical needs, such as someone recovering after major heart surgery, it can also support people who need practical help while their body heals and energy returns. 

Post-surgery support is suitable for:

• People recovering after surgery: This may include those who need help with out of hospital services like wound care, daily tasks, mobility, medication routines or following recovery instructions at home.

• Older people recovering after surgery: Post hospital care for elderly loved ones can be especially important when recovery may take longer, strength may be reduced or pre-existing conditions make daily tasks more demanding.

• Family caregivers arranging support: Many family members take on the role of primary carer after a loved one’s surgery, managing their appointments, meals and household tasks. This is often in addition to looking after their own day-to-day responsibilities. Having extra support with the practical load may reduce the risk of carer burnout and make recovery feel more manageable for everyone involved.

What support is available after surgery at home?

After hospital care at home may involve one type of support or a combination of services. The right mix will depend on the person’s surgery, discharge instructions, mobility, pain levels, living situation and personal preferences. For example, after surgery, a registered nurse may help with wound care or medication management at home, while a support worker may help with meals and household tasks.

Managing a care team of independent nurses, support workers and allied health professionals who offer post-surgery support can be simple through Mable, as it’s all done on one platform. 

Through Mable, after hospital care at home options available include:

Nursing care

This care is for those who have clinical needs that require a qualified nurse. This may include:

• Wound care, including cleaning, dressing and monitoring

• Vital signs monitoring

• Medication management

• Catheter insertion and removal

• Respiratory care

• Pain management

• Monitoring for signs of infection

• Follow-up support with post-operative instructions.

All nurses on Mable must hold current AHPRA registration as a Registered Nurse or Enrolled Nurse. They must also provide professional references, which are obtained by Mable before they can provide services.

Personal care

If a person’s surgery has affected their strength, movement or balance, they may find it harder to manage daily physical tasks. This is when personal care may help. It can be especially useful when a person is still regaining confidence with movement or has been advised to avoid bending, lifting or placing pressure on part of the body.

Personal care support may include help with:

• Showering

• Dressing and grooming

• Toileting

• Hoist and transfer

• Manual handling

• Medication assistance

• Assistance with eating and drinking.

Domestic and everyday support

Domestic and everyday support includes help with practical tasks that don’t require clinical qualifications. Support in these areas can often be what allows someone to genuinely rest and recover, rather than pushing themselves too early. 

Domestic support can be arranged as one-off sessions or as ongoing help and may include help with:

• Meal preparation

• Housework

• Grocery shopping

• Transport to follow-up appointments

• Gardening

• Personal admin

• Companionship.

Allied health

Allied health support may be useful when a person needs rehabilitation alongside their recovery.

This may include:

• Physiotherapy to rebuild strength, balance and mobility

• Occupational therapy to support independence with daily activities and assess home safety

• Speech pathology, where relevant

• Psychology for emotional support during recovery.

What should you consider when arranging support for a loved one? 

Before booking post-surgery support, it may be helpful to ask yourself a few practical questions about your loved one. These can guide the type of support worker, nurse or allied health professional you search for and the number of hours you arrange.

You may like to start by understanding your loved one’s clinical needs after surgery. These should be included in the hospital discharge summary, or you may be able to ask the surgical team before discharge. This can help you understand whether they need nursing care, personal care, domestic support or a mix of services.

Here are some other things you may like to consider:

• Whether support is needed for a defined recovery period or may need to continue longer term

• How many hours per day or week of support would realistically help

• Whether it may be worth starting with a broader level of support and adjusting down as recovery progresses

• Whether the person needs help during particular times of day, such as mornings, evenings or after appointments

• Whether arranging a meet and greet with a support worker would help the person feel more comfortable before sessions begin

A meet and greet can be especially valuable when someone is inviting a new person into their home during a challenging time. It gives the person receiving care and their family a chance to understand the worker’s experience, communication style and approach.

Through Mable, families can browse profiles, access reviews and message workers directly before booking, making it easier to find someone who is the right fit personally and practically.

How do you arrange post-surgery support through Mable?

Mable is designed to make it easier to connect with independent support workers, nurses and allied health professionals in your local area. There is no referral needed and no waitlist to join, which can be helpful when discharge has already happened or is coming up soon.

Here is Mable’s step by step process for arranging post-surgery support:

Step 1: Connect with an independent support worker, nurse or allied health professional

You can either post a job ad with details of the support needed and wait for responses, or browse local support worker profiles using Mable’s search function. There are over 70 search filters that allow you to search by service type, qualifications, location and more. Each worker profile includes details such as qualifications, reviews, interests and indicative rates. This can be helpful to compare workers before making contact.

Step 2: Book a session

Once you’ve found a support worker, nurse or allied health professional who may be a good fit, you can agree on the job details directly with them. This includes rates, session timing and the type of support required. You may also like to arrange a meet and greet session to ask questions and understand their support style before booking.

Every session booked through Mable also includes support worker insurance covering the support worker’s actions while providing care.

Step 3: Manage ongoing support

Once support begins, you can schedule sessions, manage bookings and make payments in one place.

Payment can be made by credit card, direct debit, or NDIS or Support at Home government funding, if you are eligible and these types of support services are included in your plan. Invoices are always available in your Mable account, which can make it easier to keep track of your loved one’s support.

Arrange after hospital care at home with Mable

Helping a loved one recover from surgery is an important and meaningful thing to do. Getting the right support in place can give you confidence that their needs are being met while they rest, heal and rebuild independence at home. It may also help ease some of the practical pressure on you, so you can spend more quality time with them as they recover.

Mable makes it straightforward to find verified, qualified support workers, nurses and allied health professionals who can help from the day your loved one comes home. Browse available workers in your area or sign up for free to get started.