Treating Wounds and Preventing Pressure

What is "Treating Wounds and Preventing Pressure"?  

Some patients go home with an open wound, such as after surgery, or have an open sore on the skin. Other patients are at risk to get a pressure wound, bed sore, or pressure sore from the skin pressing against something too long. Your health care team will check to see if you are at risk to get a sore.

You can help your body heal and prevent a sore by having good nutrition and moving by yourself to keep blood flowing. It is also helpful to keep your skin clean and to control your bowels and bladder as much as you can.

The numbers for this item show how often your team:

• helped wounds improve or heal
• checked to see if you were in danger of getting sores
• listed in the plan of care ways to prevent sores if you were at risk
• provided treatments per the doctor's orders to prevent sores

How is "Treating Wounds and Preventing Pressure" used to measure quality? 

One way to measure quality of care is to look at how well wounds heal. Normal wound healing surgery is a marker of good care. If you are at risk for pressure sores, your care team will teach you or your caregivers ways to prevent sores

Patients whose wounds heal normally, will feel better and will be back to their daily routine sooner.

Home health teams help with wound healing in many ways:

• Care for a wound dressing: 
  • The team will change the dressing, per the doctor's orders, or teach the patient or caregiver to change the dressing 
• Teach the patient or caregiver about: 
• signs of wound healing
• foods that promote healing 
• ways to relieve pressure on the skin
• signs of infection or other problems
• keeping the skin clean
• ways to improve bowel and bladder control

Even with good care from the home health team, family, and caregiver support, some people may not heal well or may develop a sore.