What's New?

New Wound Care Program at Lawrence Home Care of Westchester

We are happy to announce that a new wound care specialist has joined Lawrence Home Care of Westchester. This new specialist will work with the nursing staff, physicians, caretakers and home health aides in a collaborative effort to help prevent as well as treat existing wounds.

Wound care is an integral part of Lawrence Home Care of Westchester's service mission. Typical wounds treated by our staff include:

Diabetic foot wounds can be caused by something as simple as the friction of an improper fitting shoe or by the pressure of a foreign object in the shoe which is not felt due to impaired sensitivity in the foot.
Diabetic foot wounds can cause serious sequela which include amputation; and, because diabetic patients have a more difficult time healing their wound care needs are of paramount concern to the caregiver.

Pressure ulcers (bed sores) can be very painful and even life threatening. If not managed properly pressure ulcers can lead to infection and sepsis (an infection throughout the body). If the skin breaks down from the outside as a result of the pressure ulcer, the wound can go deep into the bone.

Traumatic wounds are wounds that result from trauma to the body. Motorcycle and car accidents are two of the many causes of trauma wounds.

Surgical wounds result from surgery. Not every wound is stitched closed nor heals in a timely manner.

Vascular ulcers (lower extremity ulcerations) often found in patients who have circulatory diseases.

Radiologic wounds can result as a side-effect of radiation therapy.

While the home care nurse is the chief manager of a patient's care the wound care specialist is called in if there are concerns regarding the care of a patient's wound. After assessing the patient and his environment, and working in conjunction with the physician and the home care nurse, the wound care specialist, together with the above, will devise a wound management plan that will best meet the needs of the patient and the family. This plan will be based on the concept of complex case management and may include recommendations for labwork, nutrition, changes in surfaces, as well as occupational or physical therapy. Then she will follow through with the actual wound care itself.

In addition to her special wound "consultancy," the wound care specialist will help train our caretakers and home health aides to better care for wounds. She will also train nurses and caretakers to prevent grievous wounds from occurring in the first place.