I've gone and severely injured my knee mountain biking and have to have surgery next week.
Since last weekend, I've needed help with daily tasks and that will continue for at least 1-2 weeks after surgery.
My husband has kindly of course been my helper, and has still been working full time from home. His work requires that he is in the office at least 3x per week, but his boss and colleagues have been very understanding. It is actually not necessary for him to be in the office to complete his tasks, they are just a bit old fashioned and prefer it to be that way.
He told me today that he heard a rumor from a friend working close to HR, that they will ask for some kind of medical note soon, since they now know that I will need help a bit longer than they expected.
Does this requirement exist in Switzerland? If so, what is it called so that I may ask my doctor accordingly? Can he show them a copy of my own medical note?
I suggest asking your health insurer for advice. You may be entitled to home help. They may also be able to tell you how the law lies.
As for rumours. Start worrying if it happens. Not before. I’ve not found a reference, but my understanding is that if you have a sick note, that’s sufficient. Also see this: https://www.mercer.com/our-thinking/…rergivers.html
During covid this topic was discussed a lot in my work.
I forgot the number of hours/days in my contract, but I can report up to X paid absence hours per year due to "care of sick family member / Betreuung kranker Familienmitglieder".
Not sure about the specific document required by HR, but some colleagues did asked for the days when they had 2-3 people sick at home at the same time, children + spouse. So, it's something normal, just wait for HR to ask for it.
Yes - ask your family doctor, if you have one, whether you can qualify for "Spitex". Both before and after the surgery. It will help to reduce the burden on your partner, and take the pressure off about his ability to work.
+1 for what swisspea says. Spitex came to my home every weekday for 12 weeks after my accident and it was all covered by insurance. They helped with bathing, wound care, getting dressed, getting my morning coffee, etc. They even offer cleaning services and meal cooking, although I didn't need those.
The prescription was written by my surgeon. He also wrote the script for things like a bench since we only have a bathtub and I couldn't safely climb over the side.
This may be one of those 'varies by canton/Gemeinde/Spitex provider/phase of the moon' things, but:
After a fall left me unable to walk, the doctor gave me an order for Spitex help, both nursing care and household help.
The local Spitex explained that while nursing care was covered under basic insurance, Hauswirtschaftliche Leistung (household help) was not, the patient is expected to pay out of pocket for that. Some supplementary insurances might cover Spitex household help service, though.
Spitex household help was slightly less expensive than a regular housekeeper would charge, though, somewhere in the CHF 30/hr range IIRC.
(In the end I decided against using Spitex altogether, so can't comment further.)
My fall was considered an illness rather than an accident, so perhaps that's why the basic vs supplementary insurance issue arose.
Anyway - before you sign on the dotted line with Spitex, do make sure you understand what is paid by the KK, and what you might be responsible for.
My husband informed me this morning that his boss is talking to HR today to see what needs to be done - I will keep you posted.
Regarding the three days he can take off, I have to spend two nights in the hospital. I think it is best if he can take off the first day for our comfort and the first two days I am at home. I've never had a biggish surgery before, do you think that is a good plan?
I really do not want to be a big burden on him, so it is fantastic to hear that Spitex can even help with house cleaning etc... I believe my insurance should cover, although I would even consider paying myself. What a fantastic country!
I felt like this when I was recovering from an accident a few years ago. I decided not to bother with home help and I now regret it. I'm sure all the "Oh, I'll just try to do xyz..." had a negative effect on my rehabilitation. If the professional help is there, take it.
In hindsight, having OH at the hospital on the day of surgery was a mistake. He is not good at 'doing nothing', and obviously there was nothing he could do other than wait for news. Since he could not see me post surgery in the ICU, it really was a waste of a day off.
Next surgery I simply had him drop me off at the hospital, arranged it so that someone from the hospital staff would call him with news when I was out of surgery. That worked out to be a better use of his time. I didn't need any help while in the hospital, but was extremely grateful that he could take more time off to help once I was home.
For what it's worth, I agree with meloncollie--you'll make him fidgety waiting at the hospital wasting a day, but you'll need his help after that. It would be good to keep him busy on your first three days home! At least it happened at the end of summer rather than the beginning, eh? Do be careful of ice this winter, though...knees can take a while. Best wishes for a safe surgery and quick recovery.
I'm unlucky enough to have lots of experience with having painful surgery (9 so far since I arrived in Switzerland, of which 5 were orthopedic. I have one more in the pipeline as well...).
You will find that being on crutches is very limiting in the sense that you essentially lose the use of your hands when you are moving around as you need them for your crutches. You can't carry anything, even carrying your phone will be a challenge.
My top tips are:
Agree with the others, no point in him being there on the day. Normally he should be able to visit you in the evening after work. But having help the first few days at home is good when your pain levels are at their highest and you're trying to settle into a recovery groove.
Get a small backpack and thermos, water bottle, etc. as if you are going on a hiking picnic. On days when you are home alone you can prepare food and drink in the kitchen and then take it to the dining room/lounge to eat. Think ahead to have food on hand that you can easily fit in a tupperware or bag: sandwiches, hard boiled eggs, apples, etc. Ask your spouse for help in preparing this food in advance so when mealtime comes around it will be easy for you to put a meal together quickly.
For carting around your phone go for clothes with deep pockets, or a phone case with a leash.
A barstool height chair is very handy to have in the kitchen, as once the pain goes down you can do some preparation of food while sitting at counter height: normal chairs are too low.
Post-op advice: anaesthetics are amazing and you should not hesitate to ask for as many painkillers as possible. I am mystified by people who see some sort of pride in refusing strong painkillers. They make recovery so much more tolerable. Following my most recent major surgery (mastectomy) I also took something to help me sleep, as I was pretty uncomfortable. Getting adequate sleep is essential, and as my doc pointed out, the more time you spend asleep, the less time you spend awake in pain...
Hope the surgery isn't too painful and that your recovery is smooth.
This is incredibly helpful Bossa Nova! I am so sorry to hear you have had so many operations, I wish you the best for your upcoming one.
The problem is that we have treacherous stairs throughout our place - which means I've been totally cut off from our living area and kitchen, and most certainly will still be the first days after surgery.
I can get water from the bathroom, but otherwise I need help. I will contact these Spitex people - I really appreciate everyone's advice. Helping me with the first big operation jitters.
This is very good advice. When my mother had her hip operations (yes plural) we used to put up a little table and chair in the sleeping room or in the room next to it where she could eat and sit as she could also not do stairs.
And this as well. Many people only ask for pain killers once they cant stand the pain anymore. But it then takes a while for them to work. And it is too late basically. We were told that you should not be in pain in order to heal. Meaning once you can start to feel the pain you need to take a pill. Especially at the beginning. That is important.
Yea, I'm nervous about taking the strong stuff, but I don't have an addictive personality and am pragmatic enough to know that sometimes they really are there for a reason.
Something to ask your GP about : a stay at a rehab facility.
When a friend had a complicated knee op, she was given a couple of weeks at an ortho rehab clinic in order to do the initial post op care, with emphasis on PT.
Her insurance paid for the rehab stay, her GP made the argument that she would be immobile after the surgery and had no one to care for her at home, plus getting around her Altbau flat was potentially dangerous in her condition.
The upside was that she had 4 (and sometimes more) PT sessions per day, as opposed to the one hour Spitex visit. She credits her rehab stay with her successful recovery.
This was a few years ago, and I've heard that insurance is less generous today. But it wouldn't hurt to bring the idea up with your GP if you think a rehab stay might help, both in terms of recovery and logistics.
In my opinion it is a total waste of a day of for your husband to take time off on the day of surgery. There is really nothing that they can do and that time is best used later on when you do need things doing.
The hospital called him when I was out of surgery and be visited in the evening.