Caring for Wounds at Home with Home Health

Whether you’re recovering from a new or chronic wound, it can feel worrisome, and you may be wondering what to expect. Home health can offer important support in wound management and healing, helping you learn how to care for a wound at home, what signs and symptoms of infection to watch for and what the typical healing process looks like.  

 This expert wound care at home eases concerns and can help you recover with less complications. In this article, we’ll explain the role of home health in wound care, common recommendations for improved wound healing and more. 

Understanding Wound Care at Home

Wounds can be from a wide range of causes, from acute injury to surgery. Most wounds are minor and may not even require medical attention, but some situations require extra care. Complications can be more likely to result from underlying medical issues, like immobility, limited sensory perception or slow healing. Chronic wounds, or wounds that take a long time to heal, affect as many as 6.5 million people each year in the United States. ¹ 

Common reasons to seek medical treatment for wounds include: 

• The wound is deep, like a laceration or puncture 

• An animal bite or scratch caused the wound 

• The wound is showing signs of infection 

• The wound is not healing (a chronic or complex wound) 

• A medical history that affects wound healing, like being immunocompromised or having a diagnosis of diabetes 

Sometimes emergency care or even hospitalization may be necessary to treat infection. This is because an infected wound can increase the risk of sepsis, a serious and extreme reaction in the body to infection. Complex and/or chronic wounds and infected wounds that take extended time to heal may require ongoing care at home even after hospital treatment. 

In cases where skilled care at home is needed for a wound, including dressing changes and antibiotic treatment, your doctor may refer you for wound care with home health. 

Home Health Services for Wound Care

For patients who meet home health eligibility criteria, home health care provides valuable services to help with wound care. This includes skilled nursing care and support from other members of the home health care team as appropriate. 

Some home health services for wound care include: 

• An individualized wound care plan 

• A holistic approach to health that addresses nutrition, medical conditions and other factors 

• Collaboration between the home health care team and your primary care physician and others involved in your care for better healing 

• Medication administration (such as intravenous antibiotics) 

• Education on wound care for yourself and/or family caregivers 

• Topical wound care 

• Physical therapy to address mobility challenges contributing to wound healing 

Research has shown that home care for certain types of wounds can reduce the time spent on treatment and benefit patients’ well-being. ² At Amedisys, our clinical team, with the support of our wound care specialists, helps guide treatment plans, helping to ensure that you receive the best possible treatment at home. 

General Tips for Caring for Wounds at Home

Proper wound care at home is critical for preventing new infections and healing wounds without further complications and even trips to the hospital. Along with home health support for eligible patients, there are several important steps people can take at home to help with healing. ^*

Caring Safely for Wounds

Some general skin and wound care tips that can help support healthy skin and improve wound healing include:

• Keep healthy skin clean and dry
• Make sure bowel or bladder incontinence is addressed as soon as possible
• Prevent dry skin— use moisturizers or lotions after bathing
• Look at your skin each day, paying attention to potential problem areas, such as the bottoms of your feet if you have diabetes
• Follow instructions from your doctor and home health clinicians on the best way to care for your wound
• Keep dressings clean and dry— change them right away if they are soiled or wet
• Ask your doctor how to safely shower or bathe
• Always take all medications as directed— be sure to finish any antibiotics prescribed
• Be as active as possible—avoid putting prolonged pressure on a wound and exercise as directed by your doctor
• Wash your hands frequently, especially before and after touching a wound or dressing

Healthy Habits to Promote Wound Healing

Along with proper skin and wound care, lifestyle changes can help you recover from wounds, too. Consider the following:

• Stay active following the recommendations of your physician or physical therapist. Activity improves blood flow and can contribute to faster wound healing.
• Utilize the correct support surface as ordered by your physician. Certain mattresses and chair cushions can reduce pressure and remove barriers to healing.
• Stop smoking. Smoking can delay wound healing.
• If you are a diabetic, keep your blood sugar within the range prescribed by your physician. Elevated blood sugars can impair the body’s healing mechanism.
• If you have heart disease or high blood pressure, keep your blood pressure controlled and follow the diet recommended by your physician (low salt, low fat, low cholesterol). High blood pressure and high cholesterol can worsen the underlying cause of some wounds and decrease the ability to heal.
• Wear well-fitting shoes or wear special boots and shoes designed to reduce pressure on areas prone to wounds on the feet.

Proper Nutrition for Wound Healing

Caring for wounds isn’t just keeping a wound clean and well-dressed. Nutrition has a big impact on wound healing. Adequate protein, calories and vitamins including zinc, selenium, iron, vitamin A, vitamin C and vitamin D are all important— for example, protein needs can increase by as much as 250% during wound healing. ³

It’s important to check with your doctor for dietary recommendations or restrictions related to your health history. With approval, these tips can help address proper nutrition for wound healing:

• Substitute whole milk for low fat or 2%
• Add an afternoon and bedtime snack
• Increase intake of nuts and nut butters (if you do not have a nut allergy)
• Add cheese to casseroles, grits, vegetables, soups and sandwiches
• Make egg salad sandwiches, quiche, omelets, deviled eggs or slice hard-boiled eggs and add them to casseroles
• Add extra butter, oil or corn syrup when cooking
• Make homemade milkshakes and add peanut butter or protein powder
• Incorporate beans, seeds, and legumes into soups and salads

When to Call Your Doctor for Wound Problems

There are several important signs to watch for during wound healing that you should notify your healthcare provider of right away if you notice them:

• Swelling around the wound
• New or spreading redness
• Any new wounds
• Warmth or firmness around the wound
• Increased pain
• New drainage
• Increased amount or thickness of drainage, or change in color or odor
• Fever or chills

Interested in Learning More About Home Health for Wound Care?

If you think home health might be the solution to helping with wound care, Amedisys is here to help. You can ask your doctor if you are eligible for home health, or we can help you learn about eligibility and insurance coverage for home health and work with your healthcare providers to minimize pain and help you heal. To learn more, call one of our nationwide locations or fill out our contact form below.