Post-operative care, sometimes known as convalescent care, is designed to help anyone who is recuperating at home following an injury, surgery, illness or other hospital stay. This short-term and flexible care option is suited to people of all ages who need help during their recovery. Curam's experienced post-operative carers provide specialist support to meet individual care needs after a hospital stay.
You may have had hip replacement surgery and would like to be picked up from the hospital and taken care of for a day or two, until you get back on your feet. Or maybe you have broken a bone that led to surgery, and you need a little extra help around the house. A post-operative carer allows you to rest, recover and adapt to any changes in your lifestyle, and in your own home, whilst supporting your recovery.
Here are just a few ways our carers can support you after an operation:
Enable you to recover independently at home
Help with medications, bandages and dressings
Aid with mobility and exercise
Prevent falls and accidents around the home
Provide transport to and from appointments
Support with personal hygiene and bathing
How does post-operative care work?
How does post-operative care work?
Post-operative care can be as simple as occasional hourly care to help with specific tasks around the home, or as complex as live-in care or overnight care for full support throughout your recovery. The kind of care you should receive will depend on the length of your recovery, the extent of your mobility and other factors including your overall health. Curam can connect you with carers to meet your specific needs.
Post-operative care can also be referred to as post-hospital care, convalescent care, intermediate care, aftercare or reablement.
While you will need to spend a certain amount of time recovering from most surgeries under observation, continuing that care at home at the recommendation of your doctor can be more restful, less stressful and more affordable than remaining in hospital.
What responsibilities does a post-operative carer have?
Post-operative and convalescent carers are there to provide assistance after a hospital discharge. Their duties will depend on your needs, but may include the following:
Help travelling to and from the hospital and appointments
Assistance with everyday domestic tasks, such as cleaning the home
Assistance taking prescribed medicines
Personal care such as washing, dressing and continence care
Support through treatments and therapies
Preventing falls and accidents in the home
Help with mobility and exercise
Assistance with shopping and trips outside of the home
Any specialist care, according to your needs
Assistance with wound dressings and pain relief
Help with cooking and meal preparation
Benefits of post-operative care at home?
Receiving proper post-operative care at home, either solely from professional carers or in conjunction with family and loved ones, is essential for your recovery. With assistance, you’re less likely to re-injure yourself and more likely to get the rest and regular treatment you need.
Convascalent carers can help you in many ways:
Provide safety and security as you recover at home
Aid with mobility and physical therapy necessary for recovery
Prevent falls and accidents
There are also tangible physical and mental health benefits to live-in care. Being able to maintain your social network and keep up with your favourite hobbies while being cared for is great for your mental well-being. Physical health benefits include reducing the risk of falling and the likelihood of being housebound.
Post-operative care at home vs Care home
Choosing between post-operative care at home and at a care home involves weighing up various factors based on your individual needs and preferences.
Post-operative care at home is a great option for those who value familiarity and the comfort of their own surroundings during the recovery period. It provides personalised attention and flexibility while allowing individuals to maintain a sense of independence.
On the other hand, a care home might be preferred for those requiring more extensive medical supervision or when family support is limited. Care homes offer a structured environment with 24/7 professional care.
The decision depends on the complexity of the post-operative needs, the availability of family support, and the desire for a home-based or facility-based recovery. Both options aim to ensure a supportive and conducive environment for a successful recuperation.
When to choose post-operative home care?
Have you got a planned operation, and would like to recover at home, but still receive care from experienced care staff? Then post-operative care at home may be the right fit for you.
Opting for post-operative home care is particularly beneficial if you prefer the comfort and familiarity of your own surroundings. This choice becomes more pertinent for those who face mobility challenges or have limited access to transportation. Post-operative home care ensures that individuals receive personalised care, and assistance with daily activities.
Post-operative home care becomes especially relevant when family members may not be available round-the-clock, providing a reliable solution to promote a smooth and effective recovery process.
The personalised care delivered by Curam’s vetted, experienced, trained care professionals in a home setting not only enhances the overall recovery experience, but also contributes to a sense of security and well-being during the crucial post-operative period.
What services are included in post-operative home care?
Carers will fulfil the tasks agreed to in their service agreement. These tasks can range from personal care to domestic tasks and chores including shopping, meal preparation and transport. The focus is on making sure you remain safe and healthy through your recovery.
Types of care
Post-operative and convalescent care is tailored to you. This kind of care can take many forms depending on your needs:
post-operative care for hip replacement, post-operative care for spinal surgery, post-op care after cataract operation
Care following cataract surgery or other eye surgery
Care following a mastectomy or other cancer-related surgery
Care following an organ transplant
Care following a stroke
Care following a serious fall
Live in care
Live in-care for 24/7 support
Hourly care
Hourly care according to their schedule
Overnight care
Overnight care, including both sleeping night and waking night care
Respite care
Respite care while your regular carer goes on holiday or suddenly unavailable
How it works?
Easy 3 step process to hire a carer of your choice.
1
Find
Personalise your search to find experienced carers near you Or Post your express CuramPlan to find carers that fit your immediate care needs
2
Meet
Video/audio call your chosen carer on CuramMeet or message them via the app.
3
Hire
Hire your insured and vetted carer via Curam.
Take the first step, share your post code to find post-operative care near you
Cost of post-operative home care
Our self-employed carers set their own rates on the Curam platform. The cost of post-operative care is often determined by the level of care required and the total hours per week. These rates can vary according to the carer’s experience and qualifications.
General costs
The average live-in care rate charged on Curam is £1,109.82 per week, with rates starting at £880 per week. The average hourly care rate charged by carers on Curam is £19.68 per hour, with rates starting at £14.06 an hour. Rates vary depending on where you live in the UK. (as per 01/24)
Invoices are also subject to the Curam client fee of 10% and VAT. However, this client fee may be lower or waived for our business partners or those receiving local authority or NHS funding for their care. Please email client@curamcare.com to learn more about your costs with Curam.
Check average rates in your postcode
With Curam you pay less but your carer earns more
Please enter your postcode
Clients on the Curam platform pay on average 22% less than the
current suggested UK Home Care Association hourly rate of £25.95
How to pay for post-operative home care?
You can pay for live-in care privately, with assistance from the NHS or local authority, or from some combination of different sources.
The NHS will pay for post-operative care or care following a hospital discharge at home for a maximum of 6 weeks. Most people who receive this type of care do so for around 1 or 2 weeks, although you get free, short-term care for a maximum of 6 weeks. It will depend on how soon you are able to cope at home. Speak to your hospital team and visit the NHS page on care after a hospital stay to learn how to arrange for free post-operative care.
If you need care for longer than 6 weeks, or you are looking for care beyond what is offered for free by the NHS, you may be able to get funding to help pay for your care. There are three steps that you can follow to ensure that you receive all the money to which you are entitled:
If you still have difficulty funding your own care after checking the above services, you may consider other options such as equity release.
According to the NHS, you might be eligible for local council support towards the cost of your social care if you have less than £23,250 in savings (called the upper capital limit, or UCL). From October 2023 this will rise to £100,000 in savings.
Exactly how much your council will pay depends on what care you need and how much you can afford to pay.
The first step is for your council to do an assessment to check how much help you need. This is called a needs assessment. The needs assessment is free and anyone can ask for one. Find out more about getting a needs assessment.
The NHS will pay for post-operative care or care following a hospital discharge at home for a maximum of 6 weeks. Most people who receive this type of care do so for around 1 or 2 weeks, although you get free, short-term care for a maximum of 6 weeks. It will depend on how soon you are able to cope at home. Speak to your hospital team and visit the NHS page on care after a hospital stay to learn how to arrange for free post-operative care.
With Curam, you pay for live-in care though a secure payment system on our app or website. Your carer of choice will create a service agreement and shift invoice, which will automatically be sent to your Curam account for your approval.
Once you have approved these, you will be taken to the payment portal. Your payment is held securely until the shift is completed and is then released to the carer two working days after the end of the shift, minus the Curam fee. Shift invoices typically cover one to two weeks of care at a time, but specific payment frequency can be agreed with your carer.
Off-platform and cash payments are not accepted. These are liable to a fee of £2,000. Please see our terms and conditions for more information, specifically point 9.3.
Why should I choose Curam for post-operative care?
We know that hiring a carer is an emotionally charged decision, so we've done everything we can to make it as safe, seamless and stress-free as possible.
Choice is at the heart of Curam. By connecting carers and those who need care, we enable people to take control of their lives.
We've made it possible to hire a carer within a matter of hours. With Curam you can search, interview, message, hire and pay approved and vetted carers throughout the UK.
We are building a care community that allows each of us to live an independent life.
Experts and experience
Curam is a community of experts. Every carer on Curam's platform has been interviewed and fully vetted by our recruitment team. They have had a DBS check, are legally entitled to work in the UK and any qualifications mentioned on their profile are backed up with certificates.
Self-managed
Curam does things differently. Unlike care agencies, we make sure the choice of care is in your hands. You can interview carers personally before hiring them and have a final say on what their responsibilities will be in your home.
Our carers are self-employed. Their Curam fee covers the cost of their insurance, easy-to-use service agreements and a hassle-free payment system. This means that the client pays less than they would with an agency, and the carer in turn receives a higher wage.
Individual support
In-home care with Curam respects independence. It is tailored to each individual while allowing them to live in the comfort of their own home. Receiving care at home can be a safer and more cost-effective alternative to a care home.
How to arrange post-operative care with Curam?
To arrange care on the Curam platform, create an account. By adding relevant details including your postcode, your care requirements, your gender preference for carers and more detail as needed, carers that fit your demonstrated needs will then apply to your Curam account.
We recommend that you call or meet your carer of choice before contracting with them. Read our advice on interviewing a potential carer.
Alternatively, you can use our search tool to find a carer that suits your needs. You can filter by care type, condition, experience, languages spoken and more in your search. If you see a particular carer that fits your criteria, send them a message outlining your care needs and checking their availability.
All carers can be tried on a trial basis and any specific arrangement can be changed or cancelled with a minimum notice of 48 hours.
Please note that Curam does not provide managed care. It’s critical to our mission that both the client and the carer have choice and control over their care relationship.
Find & hire your Post operative carer
How do I book post-operative care at home?
Depending on when you need care, finding a carer with Curam means you could hire a vetted, experienced carer in less than 20 minutes. If you’re looking to hire a carer immediately or in an emergency, you can use our Express CuramPlan and post a job to our wonderful, experienced community of carers.
Posting a job allows you to quickly share your specific care needs and allows our community of local, vetted and experienced carers to see your exact care requirements. Carers can then apply to your job post; you will be notified once a carer has applied.
If you’d like to view the carers in your local area that specialise in post-op care at home, you can search by entering the postcode of where you would like the care to take place and Curam will instantly connect you to carers in that area. You can further refine your search to include specialist skills, as well as what kind of care support you’re looking for.
Take your time to browse the carer profiles and when you’re ready, you can message your chosen carer, or carers, with any further questions or queries. You can even call a carer through our fantastic feature, CuramMeet, which allows you to connect with potential carers via a one-to-one video/audio call, safely, all within our app.
Thousands of happy clients have used Curam, you can do it too
Full choice over who provides care
Get a carers for your care needs
You can join for free, no tie-in contracts.
We are making sure you get the ideal carer with each passing day
Finding and managing your carer is much easier on our Curam client app. Lots of new features including digital health care plans and family sharing apps coming very soon.
