Developing and implementing a wound care program in long-term care.

Pressure ulcers in residents of long-term care facilities cause avoidable pain and suffering, and they place an additional burden on budgets that are already quite lean. To laypersons, these "bedsores" inaccurately enhance a widely held belief that nursing homes provide inferior care. Although most long-term care administrators recognize the need for better prevention and management of pressure ulcers, they lack specialized knowledge in the field of wound prevention and treatment and lack the necessary time to devote to such an effort. A systematic approach using prevention and treatment protocols and a wound care team and staff education, has proved highly effective in reducing the incidence of pressure ulcerations. This article provides a detailed guide for the development and implementation of a wound prevention and care program and defines the critical role played by the WOC nurse within such a program.