My mother is going to have hip replacement surgery soon. Is there anything she can do to prepare for it to make for an easier recovery?

Research is starting to show that patients who receive patient education and who are treated aggressively (early physiotherapy, pain medication before the pain is severe, etc), tend to recover quicker and more efficiently than patients who don’t have this preparation.

Your mother should meet with her surgeon to discuss the surgery and see what information she can get, when her physiotherapy will start, and learn if she should be taking medications before the surgery.