Dear Heloise: My elderly mother recently had hip surgery, and we insisted she stay with us as she recovered. Of course, this meant there had to be some changes and preparations for her stay at our home. First, I attached sleigh bells to her walker at night and made sure it was always within arm’s reach. This way, if she needed me, she could reach over and shake the walker. We had to prop one leg up for a couple of hours a day for a while, so when the doctor said something soft but firm, I put a towel around a six pack of toilet paper and slipped it into a pillowcase. It worked better than a pillow. We put night lights in her room so she could see her way to the bathroom. There were more changes, but these were her favorites and made her life easier, which resulted in a speedy recovery.