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Tips to Help Seniors and Their Caregivers
Prepare for Surgery
5. Inform yourself about the type
of anesthetic that will be used during surgery and
its potential physical and mental effects
Ask your anesthesiologist about the type of
anesthesia that will be used during your procedure –
general, regional or local, as well as potential
effects of the medication.
6. Reach out to family and friends
for support and remember that caregivers can help
you deal with surgical complications
Surgery can be an overwhelming experience, and
family and friends can be surprisingly helpful. You
may also need help during the recovery period, and
your support network will be essential during that
time. Caregivers can help make you feel as
comfortable as possible following surgery by:
- Ensuring your eyeglasses, hearing aid, etc.
will be made available as soon as possible
following the procedure
- Placing a calendar in your room so you know
what day of the week it is
- Putting photos of your family in your room
- Requesting a recovery room with a window, if
possible, so you know if it is day or night
7. Your caregivers should help you
watch for cognitive problems after surgery
After a successful surgical outcome, it is easy to
fall back into a daily routine and forget to watch
out for post-surgical complications, which may
include cognitive problems, or issues with mental
function. To help prevent cognitive problems,
caregivers are encouraged to do the following:
- Request that your physician conducts a
cognitive exam during your preoperative
interview
- This will serve as a baseline for your
physician to evaluate your mental function after
surgery
- Monitor your physical and mental activity
closely following surgery to prevent
complications
- Ensure you avoid taking drugs with
long-acting central nervous system effects, such
as benzodiazepines, which are frequently used to
treat insomnia, anxiety, seizures and muscle
spasms
Please visit
www.LifelinetoModernMedicine.com to learn more
about geriatric anesthesia.
The American Society of Anesthesiologists
Anesthesiologists: Physicians providing the lifeline
of modern medicine. Founded in 1905, the American
Society of Anesthesiologists is an educational,
research and scientific association with 43,000
members organized to raise and maintain the
standards of the medical practice of anesthesiology
and improve the care of the patient.
For more information on the field of anesthesiology,
visit the American Society of Anesthesiologists Web
site at
www.asahq.org. For patient information, visit
lifelinetomodernmedicine.com.
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