Chronic Wound Management in Geriatric Patients; A Case of Home Care Services

Abstract

Objective: Chronic wounds are a major health problem in the geriatric population and often lead to reduced quality of life and increased healthcare costs. To evaluate the impact of chronic diseases and nutritional status on pressure ulcer development in individuals over 65 years of age enrolled in home care services. Methods: This study was conducted between 15.12.2022 - 15.01.2023 at Giresun Training and Research Hospital. Individuals registered to the Home Care Services (HCS) and aged 65 years and over were included. Sociodemographic characteristics, medical history, Nutritional Risk Screening (NRS-2002), Visual pain scale, Braden Pressure ulcus risk scale and a scale to analyze wound staging were applied. Results: The mean age of the 76 patients included in the study was 83.64±8.11 years. 80.3% of the patients were female, 86.8% needed medical care. 52.6% received HCS for neurologic, 36.8% for cardiovascular and 7.8% for respiratory diseases. When nutritional risk status was analyzed, 40.8% had a primary assessment as a result of the preliminary assessment. According to the main assessment result, 97.4% of the patients had nutritional risk. As a result of physical examination, wounds were detected in 16% of the patients. Considering the risk of pressure ulcus development, 6.8% of the patients were at high risk, 21.6% were at medium risk and 35.1% were at low risk. The mean Braden pressure scale score was 16.86±3.03. Only one of the participants described moderate pain. Conclusion: Effective management of chronic wounds in geriatric patients requires a comprehensive and multidisciplinary approach that addresses the underlying causes, promotes wound healing, and prevents complications.