As we age, many conditions can lead to different types of wounds. Because a wound can turn into serious infections such as cellulitis or sepsis, if your loved one needs wound care, you are rightfully concerned. At MediLodge of Portage, we know how important your proper wound care is. We treat every resident as an individual, with unique needs. Our customized care system is a proven method of successful treatment.
Initially, the first couple of weeks are the most important time to make sure you’re maintaining proper wound care management. If the wound is deeper or you find the wound is not healing properly, you may need 24-hour care to evaluate and treat the wound properly. Also, this is a good option if there are underlying health issues that could affect the healing process.
If you have a wound that doesn’t heal properly, this may involve underlying issues. Health issues, medications, and other treatments or even lifestyle factors can affect recovery. Our medical staff will check for these factors before deciding on a course of wound care treatment.
If you’re dealing with a chronic health issue, this can decrease your body’s ability to heal. In order to ensure proper healing, a treatment facility needs to get these issues under control.
The common issues that affect wound-healing include:
-diabetes;
-cancer;
-pulmonary diseases;
-a heart condition;
-thyroid issues; and
-GI diseases.
It is important to share with us any problems regarding your health conditions so that we can provide the best treatment options for you.
Medication and other treatments can also affect wound healing. Chemotherapy and radiation treatments break down a body’s defense mechanisms, which can slow down, or even stop, wound healing.
Certain medications, such as steroids or anti-inflammatory drugs, can also affect wound treatment. We take drugs into account when we map out our care plan.
Mostly, people do not realize that their habits and other lifestyle factors could affect wound treatment. However, it is important to consider these factors. Some lifestyle factors to keep in mind include the following:
-malnutrition;
-obesity;
-drug use;
-alcoholism; and
-smoking.
Your healthcare team needs to know about all the factors that may affect the treatment options.
Wound care involves every stage of wound management. This includes diagnosing the wound type, considering the factors that affect healing, as well as the proper treatment and management of a wound.
Firstly, to begin the treatment, the team will take note of the appearance of the wound. This includes size, how deep it is, the amount and type of drainage, and the appearance of the area around the wound.
For a wound to heal, your blood needs to send proper oxygen to the area. Of course, nutrition plays a big role in proper oxygenation.
To ensure adequate nutrition, our wound treatment specialists will analyze your current nutrition needs. Additionally, our diet experts will prepare a meal plan to deal with any deficiencies.
Our nutritionists pay close attention to vitamins A and E as well as zinc. Also, protein intake is considered to help with wound healing.
One aspect of wound care is watching out for infections. Personnel will monitor the wound closely to ensure that infection does not set in. If an infection has already set in, they will monitor and treat these issues.
-Increased drainage or drainage that smells bad
-Continued bleeding
-Frail tissue around the wound
-Increased pain or cellulitis
-Fever and chills
If an infection is left untreated, it can become fatal. It’s essential to monitor progress closely.
To ensure that an infection doesn’t set in, proper care of the wound and bandaging is important. Most importantly, bandages need regular changing, and the wound requires regular cleaning.
Cleaning the wound includes removing dead tissue and bacteria. Moreover, topical antibiotics are applied. While bandages get changed, our nursing staff regularly gauge the healing process.
If you have a wound that requires regular maintenance, we at MediLodge of Portage are here to help. We know how difficult it is when your loved one needs professional attention. Our caring staff concerns itself with one thing only: the comfort and well being of our residents.
Of course, if you’d like more information, we are always available to advise you. Contact us any time to set up your private tour, and learn more about what MediLodge can do for you!
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