Wound Treatment
Inpatient Wound Care
HealthBridge staff members are experienced in effective wound care. Complex wounds are frequently part of the equation with many of our patients facing recovery from medically complex injuries and illnesses. You can be confident that expert wound treatment will allow your loved one to focus on regaining their strength while wounds heal.
Complex Wound Treatment
Complex wounds require complex care that is individualized to fit the unique situation. Our staff develops a customized wound care treatment plan to fit the needs of each patient, integrating the plan with any other necessary care.
Complicated surgical wounds, stage IV pressure injuries, burns and other complex wounds are all within our area of expertise. We provide complex wound dressing, wound VAC treatments and other care depending on the specific situation. Simply put, you can expect state-of-the-art wound treatment from our staff.
Burn Wound Care
In addition to treating a range of complex wounds, our staff is experienced in burn wound care, providing inpatient burn treatment for third-degree burns. Serious burns can create serious complications if not treated effectively, increasing the importance for consistent care after a hospital visit.
Since we focus on treating complex injuries of all types, our staff is uniquely qualified to manage wound care for a complex burn and any other injuries that may have occurred at the time of the burn.
Complex Care in a Home-Like Environment
HealthBridge offers the highest quality care in a home-like environment. We believe that a comfortable and welcoming space provides a better atmosphere for healing than a hospital.
Our complex care and rehabilitation nursing facilities deliver trustworthy subacute care to ensure your loved one recovers as effectively as possible. Let us be your bridge from hospital to home.
HealthBridge…Where specialized care begins and hope never ends
Programs
Commonly Asked Questions
Wound care encompasses a wide variety of different types of penetrating and non-penetrating wounds — minor, chronic, surgical, and injury. Depending on the wound and it’s severity, the following types of wound care may be utilized: topical dressings, vacuum-assisted closure, electrical stimulation, compression therapy and skin grafts.
The most common types of wounds treated at a post-acute care facility include non-healing surgical wounds, infections, pressure ulcers and burns.
Upon admission, a targeted individualized wound care program will be developed encompassing all stages of wound management. After initial wound assessment and diagnosis, all relevant factors will be considered when developing a treatment plan outlining options and recovery objectives. Some diagnostic tests may include X-rays or MRIs, blood tests and a wound culture. Factors considered in developing the treatment plan include medical history, circulation of wound area, infection concerns and pain levels.
Pressure ulcers, more commonly known as bedsores, are injuries to the skin resulting from prolonged pressure on the skin and are most common in patients with limited mobility that spend large amounts of time or in a chair. Symptoms include, swelling, skin temperature changes, draining, changes in skin color and discomfort. Most of these conditions require medical care and infection is a concern.
Depending on the severity (classification — first, second, third) of the burn, an individualized care plan will be developed that will likely include therapeutic interventions, including dressing, pain management, hydrotherapy, physical therapy (focusing on range of motion exercises) occupational therapy (focusing on activities of daily living) and nutrition.
First-degree burns affect the top layer of skin and generally can be treated at home. Second-degree burns go through the second layer of skin and can be very painful. These types of wound generally require ointments and special dressings as the blisters heel. Third-degree burns are the most severe and could require long-term attention and related rehabilitation. The treatment plan for a third-degree burn could include surgical skin-grafting — covering the damaged or missing skin with healthy skin. In this instance, infection is always a concern and long-term nursing care may be necessary.
WOUND CARE STATISTICS
- When a wound fails to heal after 30 days, it is reclassified as a chronic wound.
- The number of people with chronic wound is greater than the number of people with lung cancer, breast cancer and colon cancer.
- Chronic wounds are an epidemic. More than 8 million Medicare beneficiaries have at least one type of wound or infection.
- Every year, nearly 7 million patients in the US are diagnosed with chronic wounds.
- Nearly 30 percent of long-term post-acute care patients develop pressure ulcers.