A Team Approach for Risk Assessment, Prevention, and Treatment of Pressure Ulcers in Nursing Home Patients

Abstract

The article describes a unique decentralized wound care program instituted in a nursing home care unit of a Veterans Affairs hospital. This decentralized, interdisciplinary approach to wound care has been effective in reducing the incidence and prevalence of pressure ulcers in a nursing home population over the last 2 years. Prevention was a major focus of the program. The Braden scale was used to identify patients at risk for pressure ulcer formation; proper measures were introduced to reduce identified risk. This collaborative team effort led to improved patient care and decreased incidence and prevalence of pressure ulcers in this population.