It is vital that hospice clinicians have the knowledge and skills to provide effective wound care management for their patients. Sonder focuses on two key strategies for managing wounds for our hospice patients: prevention and treatment.
Prevention Strategies
Preventing wounds from occurring or worsening in hospice patients can help reduce pain, promote healing, and improve quality of life. Our clinicians assess each patient’s risk factors for developing pressure ulcers or other types of skin damage. We know that risk factors can include age, nutrition level, activity level, continence status, medications being taken, and skin integrity. Identifying these risk factors allows our clinicians to create an individualized plan to prevent further damage to the skin.
Sonder schedules CNA visits up to five times per week to prevent wounds by frequent repositioning, regular bathing, using special mattresses or cushions to reduce pressure on the skin, and encouraging mobility as much as possible (with assistance as needed).
Treatment Strategies in the Home, Nursing Home, and Assisted Living
When a wound does occur, Sonder nurses are trained to act quickly to help patients avoid infection or further damage. In addition, Sonder partners with specialized wound care nurse practitioners for an extra layer of support. Sonder patients receive wound care nurse services at least two to three times per week. More care with the additional expertise and attention is critical for ensuring the best outcome for our patients.
Conclusion
Wound care management is an important part of Sonder hospice care. This work requires experience and an attention to detail to ensure that proper prevention and treatment strategies are implemented correctly. Sonder clinicians play an active role in helping manage patients’ wounds effectively by assessing risk factors for each patient individually and implementing evidence-based interventions accordingly—as well as selecting appropriate dressings for each wound. Ultimately this approach leads to improved outcomes for our hospice patients for to pain control, healing promotion and overall quality of life enhancement during their end-of-life journey.