Preparing the Home for a Patient with a Broken Ankle

Emergencies can happen when you are least prepared for them. In my case, the emergency was surgery to repair an ankle broken in three places. My family attempted to prepare our home for my recovery as best as they could before I left the hospital. These are preparations a family can modify to their own needs and their own home.

A broken ankle can take up to thirteen weeks to heal to the point of being able to put weight on it again. We own a two story house and going up and down stairs to the bathroom or to bed was not an option. My family cleaned the living room floor of obstacles which could trip me. They cleared a path from the front door to the sofa bed. They opened up the sofa bed and brought my bed pillows and blankets downstairs.

My husband rented an adult-sized commode and a walker for use during my recovery. We owned crutches from an earlier incident with one of our daughters.

During the first week, church friends supplied our family with meals each day. My family prepared for the long recovery at home by purchasing a variety of foods that were easy for even the preteen in our family to make.

One of my daughters found a shoe box in which to keep all of the prescribed vitamins and pain medications for my broken ankle and soft bones. An ice cream bucket with a lid would also work. I kept the schedule for my pills in the box.

We brought the plastic hospital wash basin home with us. Each morning during my recovery, one of my family members brought a basin of warm water and a washcloth along with my electric toothbrush so I could clean up.

I kept nightwear and clothes for everyday use in a cardboard box near my bed. I broke my ankle during the spring and the temperatures were in transition. I needed clothing for warmer days and cold nights.

Within reach of the sofa bed was a space heater on which I could adjust the temperature. My family members were not always available to adjust the home furnace thermostat and I could not get to it on my broken ankle.

A lap desk with a cup holder and a pocket for pens served well as not only a writing desk but a convenient dining table for the recovering patient.

One of the nicest things my family did to prepare for my home recovery was to move the computer to a nearby table. They located my notebook with all of the passwords for various websites I visit and placed it near me.

They also purchased a small table for my bedside. On it, I kept a book I was reading, toilet paper, and antiseptic towelettes, besides my coffee cup and water glass.

My husband plugged in a clock radio beside my sofa bed. The radio was nice to listen to during the times I was alone at night with my broken ankle propped up.

A cordless phone was handy during my recovery time since I could not easily get to the desk phone when it rang.

My family made sure a light was left on in the living room during the night for early morning visits to the commode beside my bed. To conserve energy, a energy-saving fluorescent bulb with a three-way dimmer can be inserted into the lamp fixture.

A family member should be present most of the time the recovering patient is awake. If this is not possible, perhaps friends can be asked to schedule their home visits for those times the patient will otherwise be alone.

As soon as I was comfortable moving on crutches, my family took me out of the home once a week. The steps and sidewalk should be kept clear of plant debris and snow or ice. If the front steps do not have a railing, the family should be sure to have someone in front and behind the patient as she moves up and down the steps on crutches. One fall could easily re-injure the broken ankle. Short car trips, though tiring, are essential for recovery. A change of scenery lifts the recovering patient's mood.

When I recovered to the point of being able to have my broken ankle in a removable boot cast and later an ankle brace, my family kept a quart-sized milk bottle in the freezer and a towel by my side. When my ankle swelled, I propped it up in the foam wedge the hospital sent home with us and tucked the towel-wrapped bottle beside my ankle. Another great idea is to wrap a towel around a bag of frozen vegetables and use the bag as an ice pack around the broken ankle.

Thirteen weeks is an interminably long period of time for a family member with a broken ankle to have to recover. A little preparation of the house before the patient comes home makes the recovery time more endurable.