• About
  • Contact
  • Courses
  • Binder Kits
  • Collaborate
  • Nav Social Icons

  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About
  • Organize
  • Projects
  • Lifestyle
  • Crafting
  • Seasonal
  • Courses
  • Binder Kits
  • Media and Press
  • Mobile Menu Widgets

    Connect

    Search

Organized-ish

Organized-ish

Progress > Perfection

  • Organize
  • Projects
  • Lifestyle
  • Crafting
  • Seasonal
modern nightstand styling

How To Prep Your House Before Having Surgery

February 1, 2021 · In: Lifestyle, Organize

Learn the top nine things you need to do to get your house prepped and ready for post-surgery recovery.

Having surgery can turn your life upside down for the weeks and sometimes months of recovery time. Between mobility problems, increased family members visiting to help, and a change to your entire household’s routine, things get a little (ok, a lot) stressful. I learned this firsthand when I had my knee surgery a few years ago. But the professional organizer in me was in full swing, and I planned and prepped as much as I could. Today I want to share the top nine things you should do for yourself, your family, and your home before your procedure so your recovery period is as stress-free as possible.

low closet bar

1. Adjust Your Closet

No matter what body part is having surgery, your movements are going to be altered for a little while. The first thing to do when you’re preparing for your post-op recovery at home is to add a lower bar to your closet if you don’t already have one. If you can’t add one permanently, get a temporary hanging rod like this one so you can remove it once you’re all healed up. You’ll thank yourself over and over again.

organized pantry by Lela Burris

2. Rearrange The Pantry

You won’t be cooking for a while so make sure your pantry is stocked with snacks and easy meal foods, and the items are at arm’s level and easy to get to. If you have other people in your house that will be cooking for you, make sure the pantry is cleaned out from anything old or expired, and organized so they can find ingredients easily.

colorful cheerful living room

3. Move The Furniture

Consider what your range of movement will be and rearrange furniture as needed. If you’re having a procedure that will cause you to need a wheelchair or crutches to get around for a while, you may need to relocate some bigger pieces of furniture or put extra accent pieces into temporary storage. Your goal is to have the most open floorplan as possible. If your living room furniture usually floats in the middle of the room, push them back against walls to open up the space.

clean bathroom

4. Adjust The Bathroom

If you’ve never had surgery before, you’ll quickly realize that the bathroom is really hard to navigate after a procedure. Especially if your bathroom is on the smaller side. When you’re in the first few weeks of recovery, a nice hot shower or bath is a treat you’ll be so excited for, so take extra steps to make the space clean, organized, and open. Take out rugs because they can be a trip hazard, and move your most-used daily essentials to a handled caddy or tray on the counter.

white u shaped kitchen design

5. Set Up A Medication Area

You’re going to be taking at least a few prescription medications for the first few weeks after your surgery, so go ahead a prepare a place to keep these meds. A small basket for medications on the counter and a dry erase board for notes and schedules will keep everyone on track. This is especially helpful if your spouse or older children will be helping you get what you need.

6. Make A “Fun Basket”

You’re going to be sitting around a lot, and eventually Netflix binging will get old. Fill a basket with magazines, coloring books and colored pencils, puzzle books, your laptop or tablet, a blank notebook and pens, and anything else you might like to keep you occupied while you’re on bed rest. You can order a bedside organizer like this one to keep your go-to’s right by your side if you aren’t able to get get up and down to pick up a basket.

Organized-ish home management binder printable kits by Lela Burris

7. Create An Info Binder

Before your surgery, take time to create a binder with all your medical info and emergency contact information inside. This is helpful for family members who are taking care of you, and for quick info when you’re dealing with short-term disability and FMLA paperwork updates. You won’t always be able to get to your filing cabinet to track down medical history and insurance information. The Family Info Kit inside the Organized-ish Binder Kit Collection is perfect for this job.

1thrive susan command center with Lela Burris

8. Clean Out The Car

Between coming home from the hospital and all the physical therapy trips, you’re going to be in the car more than you’d like to be. It’s already uncomfortable enough to climb in and out of a vehicle, but maneuvering in a messy car is the absolute worst. Give your future self the most bearable car ride possible by cleaning out the car ahead of time. Take out anything that isn’t necessary, vacuum the interior, and add a first aid kit just in case.

Me visiting my brother after his college graduation, two weeks after my knee surgery.

9. Reserve Rental Equipment Early

When I had my knee surgery, I was told I would need to use a wheelchair for a month. After calling around to all the places in my area that offered wheelchair rentals, I quickly found out that it’s rare to get one right on the spot. Luckily, we finally got our hands on one the day before my surgery, but I know that won’t always be the case for everyone. I learned that there is usually a waitlist, so if you know you’ll need some kind of rental equipment, call and reserve it as soon as you can.

Feel More Prepared Already?

I hope these nine tips help you feel less anxious about leaving someone else in charge at home while you recover from surgery. They really helped my husband and me during my own surgery recovery, and I know your family will be so grateful that you took the time to plan things out for them, too.

If you don’t already have access to my Organized-ish Binder Kit Collection, now is the time to get yours and get it printed. You can go ahead and set up the Family Info section before your surgery, then work on the rest while you’re on bedrest. You can get access to the whole printable collection here.

By: Lela Burris · In: Lifestyle, Organize · Tagged: emergency, medical, prepare, surgery

more posts you'll love

winter vehicle organization for moms10 Things Moms Need In The Car This Winter
first aid kit drawer in bathroomHow To Stock A Home First Aid Kit
pet pantry cricut labelsHow To Make A Pet First Aid Kit

Get Blog Posts In Your Inbox

Every Saturday morning I send out a weekly recap of all the new blog posts. Want in?

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Anonymous says

    January 30, 2023 at 3:46 pm

    For me, having a chair next to my vanity, a basket next to it with pajamas, underclothes, socks, pull on pants and shirts..phone chargers in bathroom and other sitting area..

    Reply
    • Brad Gandy says

      January 30, 2023 at 5:20 pm

      That’s an excellent plan. Many people find it easier to dress on a toilet or bed, and having the phone chargers in the bathroom is a good idea in case of emergency or boredom. Great tips, so thanks for adding to the post.

      Reply

Leave A Comment Cancel reply

Next Post >

Twenty Things To Throw Away…Today

Primary Sidebar

Meet Lela Burris

Meet Lela Burris
hey-o!

My name is Lela, (say it like LEE-luh) and I'm so glad you stopped by my blog! Whether you're into organizing, home improvement, crafts, or you just think my pets are cute, you'll find all kinds of inspo here.

Tell Me More!

Connect

Get VIP Emails

Search

Shop My Planners

printable planners for home organization

Organize Your Craft Room

lela burris organiziedish

Hang With Me

  • Email
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube

Follow Along

@lelaburris

Do you have a command center in your house? If you Do you have a command center in your house? If you’ve been planning on adding one, here are three tips for customizing it so it works for you:
1. Add a calendar so the whole family is on the same page about what’s going on that month.
2. Decide what needs to be stored in your command center and add storage based on those needs. Don’t worry about what other people use or keep in their own command center because we all live different lives and need different things.
3. Don’t try to make your family change their habits. If they’re used to dropping keys on the counter, a hook may not work for them. Instead, give them a bowl or tray to drop keys in. And if they’re used to sticking reminders on the fridge, add a bulletin or magnet board so they can put them there. Work *with* your family’s habits, not against them.
See the full project and get more command center setup tips in my newest YouTube video. All the product sources I used here are saved in the description of that video too. 🙌🏼
#commandcenter #organizationideas #homeorganization
Can I tell you a secret? I’ve never been a fan o Can I tell you a secret? I’ve never been a fan of doing yard work. The gas was stinky, the tools were loud, and the garage was a mess. But all that changed when I switched to @HARTtoolsUSA battery powered outdoor equipment.
Now I love the ritual of cranking up music in my earbuds, taking all the tools off the wall, and the instant satisfaction of the yard going from a chaotic mess to a well-manicured lot.
No joke, our neighbor who was using a gas powered mower actually apologized for the “noise” after hearing our 40V Supercharge Brushless Mower. 😅
Between the HART 40V Outdoor Power Equipment and the Garage Rail System, summer yard work has never been easier. Find them all online at walmart.com. I also saved all the info to a Story Highlight for you too!
#HARTpartner #DoItWithHART
Have you tried museum gel before? One of the most Have you tried museum gel before?
One of the most asked questions has the most simple answer. Museum gel comes in either sticker form like these dots I’m using or in a jar. It keeps things in place without permanently adhering them to a surface. Trays can be removed for washing then put right back in with the same piece of gel.
🛒 I saved my favorite types of museum gel to my Amazon Storefront, but you really can’t go wrong with any brand.
#kitchenorganization #drawerorganization #organizinghacks #organizationideas #amazonhome
If your jeans still look messy when hanging in the If your jeans still look messy when hanging in the closet, they may just need to be turned around. Make sure the booty seam is facing backward so all you see is a nice straight line.
Slim line hangers and arranging from light to dark shades also make your denim stash look just like a store in your closet.
#closetorganization #laundrytips #foldingclothes

Footer

Browse By Category

  • Organize
  • Projects
  • Lifestyle
  • Crafting
  • Seasonal

Get Organized-ish

  • Courses
  • Printable Planners
  • Shop My House
  • Amazon Faves

Blog Info

  • Contact
  • Media and Press
  • Disclosures
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions

Organized-ish LLC © 2023 · Theme by 17th Avenue