subject: Home Care Is The Answer!!---How much influence does a doctor or nurse in the hospital really have over the patient's home? [print this page] Wound Care Wound Care
Wounds are usually caused by cuts or scrapes. Different kinds of wounds may be treated differently from one another, depending upon how they happened and how serious they are. Wound care constitutes a large portion of home care. The vast majority of patients served in the home are elderly, and the services most likely involve nursing care.
Registered Skilled Nursing establishes a plan of care with the patient and family. Complete wound care assessments and dressing changes.
The Centers for Disease Control estimate that approximately half a million surgical site infections (SSI) occur annually in the U.S. Calculations put related medical costs at up to $10 billion per year. While much of the literature discussing infection prevention focuses on the inpatient setting, the fact of the matter is that up to 84% of all surgical site infections occur in the patient's home.
Evaluate and assess patients based on their diagnosis, signs/symptoms, and labs.
The ability to identify infections early and manage them competently in the outpatient setting serves as a major cost controller. On average, an SSI increases the cost of post-surgical care by $3,382. Three quarters of the increased expenses come from hospital readmission for infection. Enhancing continuum of care positively affects patient's health status and the provider/facility's performance measures. According to the Home Health Outcome and Assessment Information Set 80% of patient's wounds improved or healed after an operation for all home health agencies in the United States/Michigan, where Affinity Home Care is at 100% in Michigan. .
"All hospitals and surgeons strive to reduce infections, but more than of surgical site infections occur at home"
Routine and Advanced Wound Care: Nurses can routinely perform the wound cleaning and other wound care that, when performed properly, will reduce the likelihood of infection. Affinity also uses state of the art technology and resources
Patient/Caregiver Teaching: It's important to order home health for reinforcement and monitoring, even when patients and family member have received wound care training at the hospital.
Observation & Assessment: When the doctor suspects there's a likelihood of infection, nurses can visit routinely for observation and assessment and extended patient education. This increases the likelihood that infections will be identified early and managed without emergent care
Nutritional Counseling: Nutritional deficits serve as a risk factor for SSI. Nurses can help with dietary planning.
Affinity Holistic Approach: multidisciplinary team focuses not just on the wound, but also on the patient, family, and home environment.
Home Care Is The Answer!!---How much influence does a doctor or nurse in the hospital really have over the patient's home?
