Our Collaborative Approach to Wound Care
Our bodies are pretty amazing. When we suffer an injury that tears the skin, our bodies immediately go to work to repair the injury. But everybody—and every body—is different, and some wounds need a little help if they’re going to heal properly and in a timely fashion. Sometimes, we can’t sit around forever waiting for a wound to heal on its own. We have work, families, lives to live, and we want to live as free of pain and restriction as possible. Or there might be an underlying condition that impairs the body’s ability to heal itself.
Different patients also have different goals for their recovery from wounds. These differences present unique challenges to healthcare professionals. That’s why Alertive doesn’t take a one-size-fits-all approach to wound care. We recognize that we’re not just caring for a wound. We’re caring for another human being.
What is Wound Care?
Wound care is more than just putting a bandage over an abrasion. It’s a complex process, one that requires carefully considered medical decisions to be made at every step: diagnosis of the wound, assessing the stage of healing, discussing with the patient factors that might affect healing such as lifestyle or underlying medical conditions, keeping the wound clean, dressing it properly, and taking any other measures appropriate for the patient and type of wound.
Personalized Wound Care
Diet, stress level, exercise, inflammation, amount and type of drainage, and the presence of bacteria all affect healing. Conditions like diabetes or anemia will also affect how long it takes a wound to heal and what strategies are available for treating it. Depending on your situation, you may be more at risk for infection, and will need to take special caution. Some wounds require debridement, the process of removing dead tissue from a wound to facilitate the growth of new tissue.
Your team at Alertive will take all of these factors into consideration when developing a wound care plan. We’ll work with you to understand your needs and your personal goals for care. We’ll empower you with the knowledge you need to care for your wound at home, which may include mobility exercises, recommendations for seating or bedding that facilitates healing, or education on preventing future wounds from occurring.
What Kinds of Wounds Need Wound Care?
Consider contacting us if you have a wound that doesn’t seem to be healing, that is painful or won’t stop bleeding, that shows signs of infection, or was caused by a burn or animal bite. Vascular wounds, diabetic wounds, pressure ulcers, severe burns, and lacerations all may need specialized, ongoing wound care beyond simple first aid. We treat all of these wound types and more with procedures including debridement, drainage, skin grafts, and negative pressure therapy.
That last therapy is an advanced wound care technique that involves a pumping machine and an airtight seal over the wound. The machine drains fluid and bacteria out of the wound, which reduces swelling and the associated pain while also helping to prevent infection. You can read more about our wound care services here.
Have More Questions?
No matter your wound care needs, Alertive is here to give you the care you deserve, combining empathy and compassion with experience and knowledge. Give us a call at 951.466.6628 or contact us here if you have any more questions.
