A wound-care plan may seem clear at the doctor’s office. But what happens when the patient returns home?
Dressing changes, limited mobility, transportation barriers, and uncertainty about what to monitor can make wound care difficult for patients and families.
Skilled wound care at home provides support from a registered nurse while following the treating provider’s established wound-care plan.
When might home wound care help?
Additional support may be appropriate when:
- Dressing changes are difficult to complete safely.
- The patient has limited mobility or transportation.
- A family caregiver needs wound-care education.
- The patient recently returned home from a hospital or rehabilitation facility.
- The treating provider needs updates between appointments.
- The patient needs skilled monitoring at home.
Services may include wound assessments, dressing changes according to provider orders, wound monitoring, patient and caregiver education, and communication with the treating provider.
Home wound care does not replace the physician, surgeon, podiatrist, or wound-care center. It helps carry their established plan into the patient’s home.
When should the provider be contacted?
Patients and caregivers should follow their provider’s instructions and report concerns such as:
- Increasing redness or swelling
- New or worsening pain
- Increased drainage or odor
- Unusual warmth around the wound
- Fever or feeling ill
- A wound that appears to be getting worse
Seek emergency care for severe bleeding, difficulty breathing, confusion, loss of consciousness, or another medical emergency.
Wound care at home in Bergen County
Thrive At Home LLC focuses exclusively on skilled wound care at home throughout Bergen County, New Jersey.
Need help determining whether home wound-care support may be appropriate for you or someone you care for?
Email: contact@thriveathomecare.org
Call us Today:201-881-6611
This information is educational and does not replace medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment from a qualified healthcare provider.