Recovery starts before surgery: understanding prehabilitation for older adults
Written by Student Research Assistant Leah Disipio, Prehabilitation Stream
From The Researcher
“From a researcher’s perspective, this project has been a meaningful opportunity to explore how prehabilitation can better support rural older adults before surgery. As a student interested in health and patient-centred care, I’ve been helping review the existing literature to understand what is already known and where more support is still needed. I’m excited to be part of work that aims to help older Nova Scotians feel more prepared and supported before surgery!”
A Different Way to Think About Recovery
Imagine showing up to do a presentation at work without doing any preparation leading up to it. During the presentation, you may feel unprepared, nervous, or disappointed in how you performed. Afterward, you might feel embarrassed or frustrated, knowing that things could have gone better if you had prepared ahead of time. In many ways, you can view preparing for surgery similarly. For a long time, many people believed that recovery began after surgery, but preparation before surgery can be just as important.
Preparation before surgery is an important step in the recovery process.
Prehabilitation should be tailored to what best suits you – It isn’t one size fits all.
Building Better Recovery Before Surgery
Prehabilitation is not a single program or exercise routine. Depending on a person’s health and the type of surgery they are having, it may include gentle exercise to improve strength and endurance, nutritional guidance to support healing, education about what to expect before and after surgery, or strategies to reduce anxiety and build confidence. For older adults, prehabilitation can be especially important because surgery can place extra stress on the body, and recovery may be more challenging depending on a person’s age, health status, and support system. What makes our project unique is that we are not only working toward building a strong prehabilitation program but also one that is specifically tailored for older Nova Scotians living in rural or northern areas.
Living in a rural community can make preparing for surgery more complicated. Appointments may require long drives, transportation options may be limited, and winter weather can make travel unpredictable. Access to prehabilitation services may also differ from what is available in larger urban centres. These realities mean that programs developed elsewhere may not always meet the needs of rural older adults in Nova Scotia.
Since prehabilitation can look different depending on the patient, the type of surgery, and the support being offered, looking at the existing research is an important place to start. To do this, we are conducting a systematic search and review—a structured process that collects and evaluates research from around the world. By bringing together findings from many studies, we can identify what works, where important knowledge gaps remain, and how this evidence can help shape a prehabilitation program for rural Nova Scotians.
We are working to develop programs that are tailored to what rural Nova Scotians need.
Behind every surgery is a person who deserves compassionate support and care.
Why This Work Matters
Behind every surgery is a person preparing for a major life event. Older adults living in rural communities often face additional challenges before and after surgery, making support during this time especially important. This project has the potential to make a meaningful impact for rural older adults awaiting surgery. Our goal is to ensure that these patients feel well supported before undergoing surgery, and having the opportunity to help them through what may be a long and difficult period in their lives is at the core of why we do this work.
Moving Forward Together
Overall, the goal of our project is to develop a prehabilitation program that helps patients feel stronger, more prepared, and better supported as they prepare for surgery. For older Nova Scotians specifically, this means tailoring the program to their unique needs and supporting them in returning home safely after surgery.
Better recovery may not begin after surgery but with the preparation that starts months before.
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