recovery from bypass

[vbay]

My dad is 84 y.o. and just had a quadruple bypas.  He is leaving CCU today and going to a regular floor.  I want to know what limitations my dad will have when he is discharged.  I know he will be weak, and he won't be able to do things.  I know he won't be able to lift heavy objects, but what are the exact limitations.  The discharge planner at the facility was stating he won't really need equipment and people go home all the time that live alone and manage, but this is doesn't sound right.  What are the exact limitations e.g. driving, bending, lifting arms above his head, etc?

[ed34]

A patient can 'feel' their limitations and everyone is different after surgery. It is normal for a physiotherapist to assess a patient before they can be discharged here in the uk. I had to walk up 2 flights of stairs and then have a conversation without losing my breath as one test. Another was to be able to clutch a pillow into my chest and give a good cough. As a rule of thumb, patients are told to lift nothing heavier than a kettle for 3 months. This would also apply to small pans etc. I could feel my limitations, if I felt too much discomfort, then I stopped. Getting up from a chair was easy, getting out of bed was more of a task. I did feel very lethargic after arriving back home, tired all the time and a bit nauseous from the pain killer medication. I can honestly say, if I lived alone I don't know if I would have coped.
With regards to arms above head, I was told not for 6 weeks, as this is how long the sternum takes to heal. I wouldn't have been able to turn the steering wheel in a car, let alone have a safety belt pulling on my chest. There are leaflets on such topics in all the hospitals I've been in, perhaps you could locate one.