Management of pressure ulcers in long-term care

Regulations governing long-term care and the associated potential for litigation make pressure ulcer management an important issue for long-term-care facilities. In response, many facilities have developed dedicated wound care programs to care for the increasing number of residents with pressure ulcers. These programs promote an enhanced awareness among the staff and instill preventive measures as part of the daily routine. To monitor pressure ulcer healing efficiently, staff at long-term-care facilities need: clear definitions of parameters that indicate healing and readily available, disposable tools for measuring these parameters simple, easily completed documentation forms that link treatment interventions and outcomes and meet regulatory requirements coordination of data and forms between multiple sites through a clearinghouse, allowing all participants to learn from the experiences of the whole.