Wound Care Services

There are over 40% of patients on hospice that have pressure ulcers, aka bedsores. In preventing the further breakdown of the skin, or if the complication of the wound has an infection or odor, it is critical to consult a professional team member for a free at-home assessment. Each patient’s condition and desires, along with a specific goal plan, are based on the prognosis to determine the approach on Lucky Palliative Services, Inc. wound care healing and help the prevention of further skin breakdown.

Whether it is on Lucky Palliative Services, Inc.’s palliative or hospice services, your loved one will have a specialty nurse to evaluate any wounds your loved one may have. Specialized wound care nurses have the knowledge and education to properly care for each wound a patient may have. Lucky Palliative Services, Inc. wound care nurses will also help educate the patient, caregivers, and families on ways to improve care for the patient.

Documenting wounds and conditions change in detail in every appointment is critical for proper treatment. At the final stages of life, good wound care can contribute to physical, psychological, and emotional comfort. Not only for the patient but the whole family. Basic wound care visits always consist of minimizing discomfort and promoting healing. Cleaning debris from the wound, along with education to the patient and the family on proper care for the wound, will be provided to help train their caregivers and family. Each patient will have a reliable team to call on 24/7 for any concerns or questions.

Improper documentation and communication lead to bad wound care. This can leave the family to feelings of neglect and fear your loved one’s final moments could have been less painful and more comfortable.

The different stages of wounds.

• Stage I — The skin is intact with non-blanchable redness of a localized area. Darkly pigmented skin may not have visible blanching, but its color may differ from the surrounding area. The area may be painful, firm, soft, warmer, or cooler as compared to adjacent tissue.
• Stage II — Look for partial-thickness loss of dermis presenting as a shiny or dry shallow open ulcer with a pink wound bed, without slough or bruising. It may also present as an intact or ruptured serum-filled blister. Stage II does not describe skin tears, tape burns, perineal dermatitis, maceration, or excoriation.
• Stage III — Indicates full-thickness tissue loss. Subcutaneous fat may be visible, but bone, tendon, or muscle is not exposed. Slough may be present but does not obscure the depth of the tissue loss. There may be undermining and tunneling. The depth of a stage-III pressure ulcer varies by anatomical location.
• Stage IV — Full-thickness tissue loss with exposed bone, tendon, or muscle. Slough or eschar may be present on some parts of the wound bed. This wound often includes undermining and tunneling. The depth of a stage-IV pressure ulcer varies by location. Stage-IV ulcers can extend into muscle and/or supporting structures, making osteomyelitis possible.
• Deep-Tissue Injury — A purple or maroon localized area of discolored intact skin, or a blood-filled blister due to damage of the underlying soft tissue from pressure and/or shear. The area may be preceded by tissue that is painful, firm, mushy, boggy, warmer, or cooler as compared to adjacent tissue.
• Unstageable — Full-thickness tissue loss in which the base of the ulcer is covered by slough (yellow, tan, gray, green, or brown) and/or eschar (tan, brown, or black) in the wound bed. Until enough slough and/or eschar is removed to expose the base of the wound, the true depth, and therefore stage, cannot be determined.

Every wound on a patient requires special treatment, that’s why specialized wound care nurses have the knowledge and education to properly care for each wound.

If you have further inquiries regarding our wound care services, don’t hesitate to contact us. Our hospice team is here to help you and your loved ones.