Dr. Stefano Sinicropi, M.D.

If you’ve been told that your mother or father will be having spine surgery in the near future, you’re probably wondering if there is anything you can do to help with the process. Fortunately there are a number of ways you can help a parent who is in need of spine surgery, some of which can be performed even if you’re miles away. Below, we share eight ways you can help a parent before and after their spine surgery operation.

How To Help Parents After Surgery

There are countless ways you can help your parents leading up to and in the wake of their spine surgery, no matter whether you live nearby or thousands of miles away. There are also some tips on this list depending on whether or not your father or mother is receptive to help. That’s not to say that you need to help when they insist they are fine without it, but there are ways to be helpful without making it obvious that you’re going out of your way to make their recovery a little easier. With that said, here are eight ways to help a parent after spine surgery.

1. Walk With Them – Your parent will be better off after surgery if they are more active before surgery, so encourage them to keep moving and exercising. Better yet, offer to walk with them a couple times a week. They’ll enjoy the company, and you’ll know that you are helping keep their body strong ahead of surgery.
2. Food Prep – Cook a healthy meal or some easy-to-reheat options so that they don’t have to lift a finger in the kitchen while they are recovering. Even if one parent is capable of cooking, it’s nice for them to also get a night off, because they’ll also be caring for their spouse. Drop off a dish or offer to bring dinner and stay a while to catch up.
3. Call Them – If you can’t easily drop in, take a few minutes and call them to see how they are doing. If they aren’t overly excited to talk about their operation or recovery, talk about anything else that piques their interest. Sometimes taking their mind off of the operation is the best thing you can do for them, so reach out with a phone call every once in a while.
4. Offer Rides – If your father needs a ride to and from appointments, or if he needs to get somewhere after surgery, offer to give him a ride. Let your parent know that you’d be more than happy to help drive them wherever they need to be so long as you have a heads-up. You can also offer to run errands for them if that’s easier!
5. Gift Cards – Here’s another option if you can’t easily come see your parents in person after their spinal operation. Send them a gift card from their favorite restaurant, or send them a gift card from their favorite online retailer so they can get some holiday or birthday shopping done. A gift card can let them know that you’re thinking of them, even if you can’t be there while they recover.
6. Do Their Exercises With Them – If you can easily pop over and see your parents, help them with their rehabilitation exercises. You can help ensure they are doing them regularly and correctly, or you can even do them alongside them! Your back will be stronger, and your father or mother will be more likely to follow through with their rehab exercises if you’re there holding them accountable.
7. Be A Positive Influence – You can’t control how your parent views the surgery or their recovery, but you can control how you frame conversations you have with them on the subject. Try to always be a positive influence and look on the bright side of things. Focus on all the fun things they’ll be able to do again once they’ve recovered, like old hobbies or just playing with the grandkids. Compliment their progress the next time you see them so that they know their hard work isn’t going unnoticed. Be a positive influence on what can sometimes be a stressful situation.
8. Medication Management – Finally, if your parent is going to be taking painkillers during their recovery, consider helping them manage their medication, especially if they take a few other prescriptions. You can help ensure they get the right dosage at the right time, especially if their eyesight or memory isn’t the greatest. Let them know you’d be happy to help assist with their medications.

If you can do even just a few things on this list, we’re confident that your parent will be in a better place because of it following spine surgery. And if you need help with a spine issue, or if you’re looking for a top notch surgeon to perform an operation, reach out to Dr. Sinicropi’s office today.

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