How To Manage Wound Care At Home
The person you are caring for may have wounds that require care at home. These wounds may be due to surgery or pressure damage, or the consequence of long-standing chronic conditions. Some are quite complex and their management requires considerable skill and confidence. In this video, we’ll show you how to dress a wound at home so you can feel more comfortable when doing it yourself
If the person you’re caring for has a wound either from surgery, a disease or an injury you might have to change the dressing.
In this video, we’ll show you how to dress a wound at home so you can feel more comfortable when doing it yourself
Start by gathering all the supplies you’ll need.
Disposable gloves, some plain gauze, some saline, and the dressing supplies.
There are hundreds of different types of dressing supplies depending on the type of wound the person you’re caring for has.
The nurse or doctor will decide which products are best to use and order them for you at no cost to you.
For specific instructions on how to change the dressing the person you’re caring for has, talk to their health care provider
If the dressing falls off or gets soiled before the next scheduled change, there are some basics that can help you and the person you’re caring for keep the wound safe from infection
First, call the nursing provider or clinic assigned to care for them, so they know that a nurse needs to see it as soon as possible.
As always, if you’re going to be in contact with blood or bodily fluids, wash your hands and wear disposable gloves before starting.”
Remove the soiled dressing and put it in a plastic sandwich bag to show the nurse so they can document what the dressing looks like, make sure nothing is stuck in the wound and decide if they need to change the products they’re using so it doesn’t fall off or soak through again.
If there is any packing or other products in the bottom of the wound, leave those there.
If the bottom of the wound is empty, you can use some saline to gently rinse it out. It usually comes in a squeeze bottle like this
Finish cleaning the area by using some saline and clean gauze to clean the skin around the wound. Start close to the wound and work your way out so you don’t push any dirt into the wound.
Let their skin dry completely before covering it back up
Cover the whole area with a plain absorbent dressing or pad. Some kinds of dressings will stick, but some might need you to tape the edges down.
Remove your gloves and finish by washing your hands
Keeping a wound dressing dry and intact is the best way to promote healing and prevent infections. You can do this.
For more caregiver support and resources, be sure to visit our CareChannel.
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Type: Video
Length: Short (< 5 minutes)
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