The scariest part of any surgery  is often not the procedure itself, but the first few weeks afterwards! The recovery can be daunting especially if you have to do so at home.

 Let’s start with the statistics and then move over to the less scary stuff.

Across large studies world-wide, roughly 1 in 10 adults discharged straight home  from hospital end up back there within 30 days!  Most of these readmissions happen within the first two weeks.

Based on this alone I answer the question, why are recovery lodges important. But, we need to get through 1200 words today, so let’s embroider around this important fact.

We all know hospitals are cold, impersonal,  intense, noisy and loud but we also know, more than we care to admit I think, that we are extremely grateful for the acute care offered there. They save lives, they make us better, they are crucial. 

But once we are stabilised we know that we do better in a home-like setting with no bright lights, beeping machines, nurses shouting anxiously and the smell of disinfectant. We do better when we have privacy and autonomy, good food, unlimited access to our loved ones ( yes, even pets! ) and less stress.

So, what is a medical recovery lodge?

Well, it is exactly what it says, one goes to a lodge ( read four star hotel vibe ) to recover from anything medical. In our case, you can be recovering from a boob lift, a hip-replacement, a nervous breakdown, stroke or pneumonia. All these recoveries differ enormously and this is why we work with an array of medical professionals but there are certain similarities that we use as a blue print for all our precious patients that stay with us.

We find the following excellent benefits we offer aid recovery of patients hugely:

Safety and clinical oversight

• Nurse call button with rapid response ( and we smile )
• Vitals checked three times a day ( and records kept electronically )
• Medication safely administered and recorded
• Help with drains, oxygen, catheters and other equipment

Comfort and environment

• Private rooms with garden and pool views
• Hotel-level standard plus a purpose-built, fall-safe layout
• Nutrient-dense meals that support healing

Communications

• Connection on a human level.
• Permanent staff for a sense of continuity 
• No agency workers
• Coordination of therapies, treatments and follow-ups
• Warm, continuous communication with families and doctors
• Access to a wide network of specialists and therapists
• Community with other patients going through similar recoveries

Location and logistics

• Seconds away from hospital if higher-level care is suddenly needed

People heal when they are loved well. This we can offer by serving beautiful meals made with attention to detail. We are able to show tender gentleness because our team is hand-picked, not overworked and they themselves are well cared for. We only have a handful of rooms, so, just a handful of people to care for and love. We come from a hospitality back ground so we passionately believe in the words of famous hotelier Conrad Hilton “It has been, and continues to be, our responsibility to fill the earth with the light and warmth of hospitality.” 

I’m speaking a lot about the soft skills but we do not neglect the other important aspects like pain control, wound care, focusing on rehab, mobility and confidence to manage daily living activities and communication with both your loved ones as well as communicating with your selected medical support team.

So why do recovery lodges matter apart from avoiding readmissions? 

• Immediate assistance from carers at the press of a button.
• The advantage of the lodge’s large array of professional contacts.
• Your opportunity to rest instead of overseeing and planning your own recovery.
• Excellent communication to medical teams, family and fantastic record keeping.
• Administration and recording of medicine.
• Checking of vitals three times a day enabling professionals to determine when help is needed.
• Purposely built environment enabling safe recovery.
• On-site therapies from professionals.
• Detailed attention for nutrient dense meals enhancing recovery.
• Accessibility to hospital in seconds due to location.
• Community from other patients also experiencing similar recoveries.
• Assistance with drains, oxygen concentrators, catheters and other medical equipment the average person is unfamiliar with.

Going straight home can be extremely stressful. Often falling back into the routine one is familiar with pushes a person to focus more on their standard routine rather than to focus on healing. At a medical recovery lodge like Sunninghill Recovery Lodge and our Hospitality lodges you have the homely environment without the pressure of going back to the standard expectation of achieving. Even small tasks like preparing a cup of tea while walking with a walker or crutch can be extremely difficult and stressful. And although we love our animals tripping over a dog just after a joint replacement can lead to further admissions and surgeries.

A medical recovery lodge is absolutely ideal for patients who have had the following procedures;

• Knee replacement ( total knee replacement as well as partial )
• Hip replacement
• Shoulder replacement 
• Ankle replacement

All orthopaedic surgeries require professional assistance regaining independence and mobility and therapists come to our premises where they oversee your rehabilitation on site. After these surgeries the majority of patients have to wear compression socks which is exceptionally difficult to take off and put on. 

People benefit staying with us after surgeries removing tumours and breasts. Post-mastectomy patients are unable to move their arms and coping at home is extremely challenging and painful. The emotional trauma of these types of surgeries can not be overstated and being in a caring and loving environment where focus is on rest and rehab makes a world of difference. Talking through your emotional pain after a mastectomy with a social worker or psychologist we can recommend is often just what you need to embrace the next journey.

We find that neuro patients benefit hugely, as your life has irrevocably changed after a traumatic brain injury or CVA ( Cerebrovascular accident / blocked-artery or cerebral haemorrhage ) and at a medical recovery lodge carers assist you relearning your daily activities as well as helping you do the exercises prescribed by allied health workers such as OT’s and neuro-physios and speech therapists.

Patients stay with us often after plastic surgery. If a surgery is elective patients often under-estimate the amount of pain and discomfort they will be in never mind the extremely uncomfortable presence of the drains and the fitted garments they have to wear over their swollen bodies. Putting these garments on is definitely not a one-man job. We see many of the following surgeries at our medical recovery lodge: As many of these are elective a lot of men and women combine one or two or even three procedures at a time and need help  around the clock.

• Eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty)
• Nose reshaping (rhinoplasty)
• Facelift, neck lift, brow lift
• Ear correction or pinning (otoplasty)
• Chin, cheek or jaw reshaping, facial implants
• Cleft lip and palate repair, craniofacial reconstruction
• Breast augmentation (implants or fat transfer)
• Breast reduction
• Breast lift ( often combined with liposuction )
• Breast reconstruction after mastectomy
• Male breast reduction for gynaecomastia
• Liposuction
• Tummy tuck (abdominoplasty)
• Body lift, arm lift, thigh lift
• Fat transfer to other areas (e.g. buttocks)
• Skin, burns and scar procedures
• Skin grafts and local flaps
• Burn reconstruction
• Scar revision
• Removal of skin lesions or tumours
• Skin resurfacing techniques (for example chemical peels, dermabrasion, laser)

We find that patients stay with us often after long admissions and benefit from the gentle stay with us rather than a direct transition between hospital and home. Patients who remain oxygen dependant or gaining strength slowly excel with us and people living alone are able to regain their health with us as opposed to facing complicated recoveries alone.

Because we are privately owned decisions are made quickly and we can adjust to our patients needs rather than them fit in with a big organization focusing on profit rather than people.

At the lodge you and your loved ones are welcome with friendly smiles, offered a beverage or a hug and quickly adapted into our family. With us your recovery truly matters, you matter and your loved ones matter.