Wounds and skin damage, including ulcers and skin tears, are a common issue for care home residents, taking longer to heal in older adults.
Care home residents are more likely to have multiple risk factors that put them at risk of developing pressure ulcers, which can often result in hospital admission. In 2021, wound care was estimated to cost the NHS £8.3bn per year and take up 50% of community nursing time.
Our service
Immedicare provides care homes with 24/7 remote access to the NHS clinicians in our Digital Care Hub. This means care home staff receive immediate support for residents with skin damage and wound problems.
Wound care assessment
We can provide virtual assessment of the skin and pressure areas, including skin integrity assessments for leg or pressure ulcers, moisture lesions and other skin damage. This reduces the need for care home staff to contact local GPs or community teams and may avoid a visit to the Emergency Department or a hospital admission.
Wound management and prevention
Via video call, we provide virtual supervision to ensure safe wound management, safe application of wound dressings, use of pressure relieving mattresses and other equipment to reduce the risk of developing skin damage. We can also provide advice and help devise plans with care home staff to support wound prevention. This may include guidance on medication management, nutrition and hydration.
Training on wound care
We are proud to provide comprehensive training to care homes that empowers staff to undertake safe wound care assessment, prevent and manage pressure ulcers, and complete mobility assessments.
In one particular case, we had a resident with a significant wound and were concerned about the deterioration of the skin. We were unable to access Tissue Viability specialist support so we used the Immedicare service for advice. The nurses at the Digital Care Hub were very helpful and gave us the advice we needed which avoided the need for an ambulance.
Get in touch
Do you need support with wound care for your care home residents? Contact us to find out more about how Immedicare can support you.
