Wound Care in the COVID-19 Pandemic
The last year and a half have proven to be an extreme challenge for many, especially health care providers. There have been lockdowns, quarantine, medical office closures, staffing shortages, and the overall concern of an unknown virus. The fallout from the last year and a half will likely be ongoing for many years, and although it’s still too soon to truly know all the effects of what has happened, it is an interesting point of reflection on how the field of wound care has been impacted.
Unfortunately, most of us could have never predicted the significant impact COVID-19 would have on our overall health and the ability of our medical system to provide care to our patients. In the wound care setting, many clinics closed or had reduced capacity. This caused patients to find alternative ways to treat their wounds. A lot of people unfortunately decided to let their wounds go untreated or tried to treat wounds themselves.
In the pre-COVID world, patients typically received weekly or biweekly care in outpatient wound care centers. In the early phases of lockdown and quarantine, however, many wound centers either reduced their operations or closed down, depending on regional regulations and restrictions. Even after these centers were reopened, many patients were hesitant to come in because they feared exposure to the virus and infection. Even in states that allowed wound clinics to remain open, there was a sharp decline in inpatient visits. As a direct result, when patients were able to be seen, their wounds were more severe. In a recent survey, 57% of clinicians reported that wound severity had increased or significantly increased since the start of the pandemic.
WESTARM Home Health Wound Care Services
WESTARM Home Health provides top-notch wound care services right in the comfort of your own home.
Our clinicians are highly skilled in caring for and managing a large variety of wounds. Clinical oversight for wound care management is provided by Peg Dibert, a Registered Nurse and WESTARM Home Health’s Director of Nursing, with many years of experience in this field throughout numerous settings.
Her background working as a Nurse, as well as time spent working in both long-term and acute care facilities, has given her the experience she needs to oversee the treatment of all types of wounds.
Mrs. Dibert and all of the professional nurses at WESTARM are local residents of the Allegheny Valley and surrounding Kittanning areas. They are given qualified supervision to provide the highest quality wound care and are readily available to meet your needs for even the most complicated wounds.
COMMONLY TREATED CONDITIONS
- Pressure ulcers
- Vascular ulcers
- Diabetic ulcers
- Chronic non-healing wounds
- Surgical wounds
- Fistulas and tube care
- Skin breakdown due to incontinence
SERVICES PROVIDED
- Assessment of wounds and related risk factors
- Teaching preventative measures
- Teaching complex wound care procedures and how to manage them
- Coordination with resources for pressure-release devices and rehabilitation
- Wound Vac
- Ostomy Care
OUR SERVICE AREA
FREE HOME CARE CONSULTATION & NEEDS ASSESSMENT
Need help but not sure where to start? Wondering which home care services are right for you or whether our services are provided in your area? We can help. Request a FREE, no-obligation, Home Care and Needs Consultation and Needs Assessment. We will evaluate your situation and propose a personal care plan to meet your specific needs.
Call today at 724-337-0420