Teaching wound care in the home.

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Public Health
• Gerontology

Background:

• Medicare Diagnostic Related Groupings (DRGs) contribute to earlier hospital discharges.
• Home care nurses encounter increasingly complex wounds.
• Teaching complex wound care skills to patients and caregivers is essential.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide guidelines and resources for home care nurses teaching wound care.
• To outline the process of developing and implementing a wound care teaching plan.
• To offer a sample teaching plan and handouts for elderly clients and caregivers.

Main Methods:

• Survey of Medicare-certified agencies in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington.
• Application of the community health nursing process for teaching plan development.
• Presentation of sample teaching materials and resources.

Main Results:

• Wound care and teaching wound care are identified as high-priority clinical problems.
• Home care nurses require support in managing complex wounds and patient education.
• A structured approach to teaching wound care is demonstrated.

Conclusions:

• Effective wound care education is critical for home care nurses serving the elderly.
• The community health nursing process provides a framework for developing teaching plans.
• Accessible resources and sample materials can enhance wound care education delivery.