Clinical Guidelines For MRC - Pre and Post Operative Care - 2023
Clinical Guidelines For MRC - Pre and Post Operative Care - 2023
Clinical Guidelines For MRC - Pre and Post Operative Care - 2023
Introduction
Surgery has become a routine part of health care, from outpatient procedures like colonoscopies, to
planned joint replacements, to emergency cardiac surgeries. As with all other aspects of health care,
the experience of homelessness can significantly impact one’s ability to qualify for, prepare for, and
recover from surgery. Barriers to engaging with post-surgical follow-up care include lack of insurance or
being under-insured, not having a primary care provider, lacking transportation, not having facilities to
wash or perform surgical preparations, and not having a safe place to recover1. People experiencing
homelessness (PEH) may also have a much harder time attending needed diagnostic studies, follow-ups,
and specialty care.1,2 A lack of engagement in follow-up care for surgical interventions can result in
increased complications, the need for emergency care and may impact overall health and function2.
People experiencing homelessness encounter additional barriers to scheduling non-emergency surgeries
and procedures, such as not having safe places to complete pre-operative instructions, lack of safe
discharge locations, and not having supports to manage post-operative needs3. Medical providers may
be hesitant to even schedule surgical interventions when there is not a safe discharge plan, specifically,
a location for the person to recover, manage and store pain medication, or follow other key
instructions3. Those who have emergency surgeries may also face significant challenges in finding safe
and stable locations for recovery. Medical respite care is an ideal place to address the innumerable
barriers, to support individuals in accessing needed surgical care, and can be a resource for those to
safely recover from both planned and emergency surgeries4. This document provides an overview of
pre- and post-operative considerations for people experiencing homelessness and guidance for
medical respite programs to support pre- and post-operative care.
www.nimrc.org 2 www.nhchc.org
Clinical Guidelines: Pre- and Post-Operative Care 2023
Clinical Considerations
Background
Many different medical conditions can result in needing inpatient or outpatient surgical treatment. Even
same day outpatient surgeries and routine screenings, such as colonoscopies, require preparation,
anesthesia, and the need to have a safe place to recuperate. People experiencing homelessness often
forgo or are disqualified from outpatient and surgical procedures due to:
• Lack of resources to complete preparatory activities.
• Difficulty navigating required pre-operative activities, such as primary care appointments and
submitting medical information.
• Lack of a safe, stable place to stay and recover post-surgery.
• Lack of support and resources to complete post-operative care.
• Stigmatization and exclusion of those who use substances or tobacco products for procedures,
and a need for advocacy to adequately manage pain pre- and post-operatively.
• Inadequate understanding of need for pain management and lack of provider coordination to
manage pain pre- and post-operatively, especially for those who use substances or take
medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD).
• Limited literacy or health literacy to read and follow complex preparatory guidelines and
discharge instructions.
Assessment
In all assessment processes, it is important to implement a trauma-informed approach. Additionally,
medical respite care can provide an opportunity to establish a baseline of function that can be
communicated to primary care and specialty providers and support monitoring of recovery and/or
onset of complications.
www.nimrc.org 3 www.nhchc.org
Clinical Guidelines: Pre- and Post-Operative Care 2023
www.nimrc.org 4 www.nhchc.org
Clinical Guidelines: Pre- and Post-Operative Care 2023
www.nimrc.org 5 www.nhchc.org
Clinical Guidelines: Pre- and Post-Operative Care 2023
www.nimrc.org 6 www.nhchc.org
Clinical Guidelines: Pre- and Post-Operative Care 2023
Post-Operative Care
• Provide support to return to medical respite program after procedure. Ensure that instructions are
handed to escort or sent to the medical respite program ahead of time.
• Support the patient in accessing prescribed medications and following medication instructions.
• Support the completion of post-operative recommendations, which may include (but are not limited
to):
o Dressing and wound changes;
o Cleaning of incision or surgical site;
o Taking medications, including topical medications;
o Getting adequate rest;
o Managing food or fluid intake;
o Maintaining recommended position (such as elevation, propping);
o Following mobility and weight bearing precautions;
o Acquiring and using assistive devices or other durable medical equipment; and
o Acquiring comfortable clothing following procedure, such as elastic waist pants, loose clothing,
button-up shirts, etc.
• Patient education should also include information on self-management and self-monitoring, including
the signs of a worsening acute condition, acute or chronic exacerbation, or symptoms that warrant
going to the emergency room/calling 911 versus calling or visiting their primary care or medical respite
provider.
• Provide support for pain management, including:
o Support for medication management and dosing;
o Advocacy to manage pain more effectively or change prescribed medications;
o Access to over-the-counter medications that are recommended by providers;
o Offer additional techniques such as hot/cold packs, lidocaine patches, topical creams, etc.
• Care coordination and support to complete follow-up care and scheduled appointments.
• Continued monitoring to assess for unexpected changes in functional status, signs of infection, delirium,
and post-operative complications.
• Continued communication with surgical team and referring providers regarding incidental findings
within discharge summary and need for follow-up care.
www.nimrc.org 7 www.nhchc.org
Clinical Guidelines: Pre- and Post-Operative Care 2023
Environmental Strategies
• Ensure spaces are accessible and provide durable medical equipment as needed, especially for ADL
spaces. Examples include shower chairs and grab bars for bathing, non-slip tread of bathmats, railings on
hallways or beds, and easy to open door handles.
• Ensure walkways are well-lit to decrease the risk of falls and use nightlights or motion lights for
bathrooms and hallways at night.
• Provide supplies to support movement precautions and positioning recommendations (such as
additional pillows, blankets, or bolsters) and offer a variety of seating options.
• Provide supplies and safe, private, and clean spaces to complete post-operative care activities.
• Place patients close to bathrooms, especially if completing pre-operative instructions that may increase
frequency of bathroom use (e.g., colonoscopy prep), or if the person has post-operative mobility
limitations.
Referrals
• Home health nursing: follow-up care to manage surgical or wound care sites, administer or manage
time-limited medications, and for management and monitoring/removal of surgical devices (such as
stitches, drains, or wound vacs).
• Occupational Therapy: evaluation to identify adaptive strategies and equipment needed to complete
ADL following procedure and for continued education on precautions during ADL and other activities.
• Physical Therapy: evaluation of mobility (including gait, balance, and motor skills) and for ways to
improve balance, strength, and movement following precautions or as part of rehabilitation process.
• Specialty providers related to reason for surgery, or to address complications or other health needs
identified during surgery (such as oncology).
Discharge Planning
Patients recovering from surgical procedures may be ready for discharge from medical respite care when:
• All surgical devices that are not permanent have been removed. .
• The person is stable on medications.
• Their pain is well controlled.
• They have completed necessary post-surgical follow-up appointments.
• The person is connected to, and has had a follow-up visit with, their primary care provider.
• The person is able to complete ADL safely within discharge environment (such as shelter setting).
• The person is able to ambulate safely in the community.
www.nimrc.org 8 www.nhchc.org
Clinical Guidelines: Pre- and Post-Operative Care 2023
• Training and education on pain management for individuals who use substances or are on medication
assisted treatment for substance use.
• Education on implementing harm reduction practices within the medical respite care setting.
• Advocacy for appropriate pain management practices within surgical centers for individuals who use
substances or are on medication assisted treatment.
• Advocacy for consideration of surgical interventions for people experiencing homelessness who may
have encountered stigma or discrimination in health care settings.
www.nimrc.org 9 www.nhchc.org
Clinical Guidelines: Pre- and Post-Operative Care 2023
Case Example 1
Background: Alex (they/them/theirs) is 23 years old and receives primary care from their local Health Care for
the Homeless (HCH) health center. Alex left home at 16 after sharing their gender identify with their family, to
which their family enforced that they would either need to leave home or identify as their sex assigned at birth.
Since that time, Alex has experienced housing instability, staying with various friends and acquaintances. Most
recently, they have been staying in a local encampment with a few trusted peers. Alex has been working with
their care team on their overall health with a goal to complete gender-affirming surgery. Alex has encountered
several major barriers to being able to schedule this surgery, one of which is not having a safe, stable place to
recover post-operatively. Alex was referred by their HCH provider to the local medical respite care program to
complete post-operative recovery. The medical respite program has recently undergone several steps to provide
improved gender-affirming care, including transitioning two bathrooms to “all gender bathrooms,” and
converting several double rooms into single rooms to support increased privacy for medical respite patients.
Staff has also recently undergone several trainings on how to provide trauma-informed and inclusive care. Alex
was able to visit the medical respite program prior to surgery to ensure they felt safe and comfortable returning
there for follow-up care.
Alex was able to schedule and complete the gender-affirming operation. After admission to the medical respite
program, Alex engaged with the medical respite team to focus on recovery.
Assessment: The medical respite team initially completed a history and physical with Alex, including focusing
on assessing surgical sites and current pain status to ensure pain was adequately managed. Alex was already
engaged with a behavioral health provider at their HCH health center. Alex had also received recommendations
for adaptive equipment from the hospital OT and PT. The medical respite team assisted Alex in procuring the
needed DME to support the ability to safely engage in ADLs. Alex was assessed to still be experiencing difficulty
with mobility and ADL and was referred for home health PT and OT to continue the plan of care established in
the hospital. Additionally, Alex identified with their case manager feeling somewhat isolated throughout the
experience, and that additional peer support from those who “have been through the same stuff” might be
helpful.
Intervention: Alex was initially able to schedule telehealth visits with their behavioral health provider and was
provided with a tablet to attend appointments virtually before they were fully able to go to in-clinic visits. Alex
was provided transportation to see their primary care provider for post-operative follow-up visits, who
communicated with the surgical and medical respite team regarding ongoing care needs. The onsite RN assisted
Alex initially with managing surgical sites and care, and Alex was able to transition to completing this care
independently. The home health OT and PT were able to work with Alex to practice and develop strategies for
continued independence using DME in ADL and mobility. With continued home health visits and healing, Alex
was able to discontinue use of mobility devices and most adaptive equipment. The case manager reached out to
a local LGTBQIA+ community group and identified a small support group for those who had undergone gender-
affirming surgery. The case manager was able to assist Alex in attending a meeting once they felt comfortable
going out more regularly in the community.
Outcomes: Alex planned to return to the encampment, therefore, they stayed at the medical respite program
until fully healed to minimize risk of infection and ensure ability to independently navigate the community and
encampment site. Alex had also become more connected with the support group and planned to continue
attending after leaving the medical respite program. Alex was able to continue care with the HCH health center
and expressed it was beneficial to not have their care and support disrupted by the surgery.
www.nimrc.org 10 www.nhchc.org
Clinical Guidelines: Pre- and Post-Operative Care 2023
Case Example 2
Background: Robin (she/her/hers) is 45 years old who has been staying at the local emergency shelter for the
past 2 years while waiting for a housing voucher. Robin has been working with her primary care provider and
orthopedist to complete knee replacement surgery, which is needed due to arthritis and significant chronic pain.
Robin had been scheduled previously for surgery on two occasions, both of which were cancelled, as Robin was
unable to successfully complete the pre-operative instructions. Robin has a diagnosed history of an intellectual
disability and a 1st grade reading level. She notes she has trouble with reading health information and
instructions. She has also expressed a lot of anxiety around the knee surgery due to concerns of pain and being
unable to rest afterwards. Robin’s orthopedist’s office does not provide any additional supports and stated they
would not schedule her for any additional surgeries until she and her primary care provider could provide a pre-
and post-operative plan. Robin’s PCP referred her to medical respite care for increased support to prepare for,
and recover from, the knee surgery.
Assessment: The medical respite program RN care coordinator was able to review Robin’s pre-operative
instructions and determine a plan of care, which included a primary care visit and lab work, to be completed at
an outside lab, specific for the orthopedic office. Robin also completed an initial screening with the behavioral
health consultant who determined she would benefit from developing strategies for anxiety for the day of
surgery and recommended additional meetings for an opportunity to express concerns about the upcoming
procedure. Robin was also introduced to the community health worker (CHW) who would be supporting her the
day of the surgery by providing an escort and arranging transportation.
Intervention: The RN coordinated Robin’s appointments and the CHW escorted Robin to both the PCP and
laboratory appointments. The CHW was able to ensure Robin attended the appointments, support her in using
strategies to manage anxiety, especially during bloodwork, and to communicate findings and recommendations
to the care team as needed. The CHW also attended the pre-op appointment with the orthopedic surgeon and
provided the medical respite RN and team with additional pre-op instructions (such as stopping eating/drinking
at the required times). On the day of the surgery the CHW escorted Robin and was able to meet her and the
surgeon following surgery. The CHW gathered all post-operative instructions and escorted Robin back to the
medical respite program. The medical respite team acquired the needed post-operative medications and
reviewed the recovery care plan. The team assisted Robin in following instructions, including movement
precautions, through demonstration and cuing. They provided additional visuals by Robin’s bed to help her
remember key directives. Additionally, the RN assisted Robin in caring for the incision site and was able to help
monitor her pain. The RN advocated with the PCP and orthopedist the need for Robin to have additional pain
management, supporting this advocacy by taking frequent vital signs that showed elevated heart rate and blood
pressure from pre-operative baseline. The medical respite team also coordinated and supported Robin with
attending outpatient PT appointments to learn how to use mobility devices and strengthen her leg.
Outcomes: Robin was planned to discharge back to the shelter. The medical respite team coordinated and
advocated to the shelter staff that Robin would need to be on a bottom bunk and closer to a bathroom due to
decreased mobility. They were also able to request that Robin place her visual reminders on movement
precautions at her bed. Robin expressed she felt very supported while in the medical respite program, and Robin
and her PCP agreed that medical respite care would be an ideal option for her to return to for an additional
knee replacement surgery in her other leg once stable enough to do so.
www.nimrc.org 11 www.nhchc.org
Clinical Guidelines: Pre- and Post-Operative Care 2023
History of Present Illness: Patient NAME is a AGE SEX who is here for preoperative evaluation for the above
mentioned procedure.
Physical Activity Capacity is >= 4 METS (one flight of stairs, moderate housework, walking 4 mph): YES/NO
Prior anesthesia problems: Describe
Bleeding risk: YES/NO
ALLERGIES: List
www.nimrc.org 12 www.nhchc.org
Clinical Guidelines: Pre- and Post-Operative Care 2023
OBJECTIVE
PHQ-2 Total Score:
PHQ-9 Total Score:
PHQ-9 Severity Score:
Vital Signs:
Last Blood Pressure:
Last Weight:
BMI:
Physical Exam
Constitutional: Oriented to person, place, and time and well-developed, well-nourished, and in no distress. Vital
signs are normal.
Head: Normocephalic and atraumatic.
Right Ear: Hearing and external ear normal.
Left Ear: Hearing and external ear normal.
Mouth/Throat: Mucous membranes are normal.
Eyes: Conjunctivae, EOM and lids are normal.
Neck: Trachea normal. Neck supple.
Cardiovascular: Normal rate, regular rhythm and normal heart sounds.
Pulmonary/Chest: Effort normal and breath sounds normal.
Musculoskeletal: Normal range of motion.
Lymphadenopathy: No cervical adenopathy.
Neurological: Alert and oriented to person, place, and time. Intact cranial nerves.
Skin: Skin is warm, dry and intact.
Psychiatric: Mood, memory, affect and judgment normal.
www.nimrc.org 13 www.nhchc.org
Clinical Guidelines: Pre- and Post-Operative Care 2023
References
1. Truong, E. I., DeMario, B. S., Hendrickson, S., Kalina, M. J., Jr, Vallier, H. A., Tseng, E. S., Claridge, J. A., & Ho,
V. P. (2020). Factors Influencing Nonadherence to Recommended Postdischarge Follow-Up
After Trauma. The Journal of surgical research, 256, 143–148. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jss.2020.06.009
2. McIntyre, L. K., Arbabi, S., Robinson, E. F., Maier, R. V. (2016). Analysis of risk factors for patient readmission
30 days following discharge from general surgery. JAMA Surgery, 151(9), 855-861.
https://doi.org/10.1001/jamasurg.2016.1258
3. Biederman, D. J., Gamble, J., Manson, M., & Taylor, D. (2014). Assessing the need for a medical respite:
Perceptions of service providers and homeless persons. Journal of Community Health Nursing, 31(3), 145-
156. https://doi.org/10.1080/07370016.2014.926675
4. National Institute for Medical Respite Care. (2021). Medical Respite Literature Review: An Update on the
Evidence for Medical Respite Care. https://nimrc.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/NIMRC_Medical-
Respite-Literature-Review.pdf
www.nimrc.org 14 www.nhchc.org