Patients with advanced illness may present to hospice or palliative care with unmanaged symptoms exacerbated by the presence of wounds.  Studies show that about 50% of patients present to hospice with wounds.  They may be a visual reminder of the underlying disease process and lead to guilt as caregivers blame themselves, or the team, for the wounds occurring, worsening, or not healing.  It is imperative for the team to educate and support the patients and caregivers during this time.

     The distressing symptoms may include wound pain, odor, bleeding and/or excessive exudate impeding the patient’s quality time with loved ones.  While wound healing does occur, sometimes against all odds, there are times when wound healing is not possible due to factors such as poor nutrition, poor tissue perfusion, and advanced disease and the goals of care need to shift to symptom management.

     While the patient may present with wounds of various etiologies including vascular ulcers, skin tears, malignant wounds, and wounds due to skin organ failure, pressure injuries are the most common wounds seen in this patient population.

Learning Outcomes:

1. Demonstrate a good wound assessment that will drive the

treatment. This includes addressing the underlying etiology

where appropriate.

2. List 4 distressing wound symptoms and options to manage the

symptoms.

3. Improve understanding of wound dressing categories to meet

the goals of care and to avoid inappropriate use of expensive

products.

Presenter Bio:  Anne Walsh,  ANP-BC, CWOCN, ACHPN  been a registered nurse since 1995 at which time she began her career in homecare.  She became interested in wound, ostomy & continence nursing and became certified as a WOC nurse in 2000 at Emory University.  She later obtained her master’s degree and adult nurse practitioner license in 2003 at Columbia University and her post-Masters in palliative nursing at New York University in 2008.

She works as an WOC NP in hospice completing wound, ostomy & continence consults, and wound education for a large urban-based homecare agency.   She has published on the topics of wound care, on the differences between hospice and palliative care and on the topic of substance use disorder in the patient with advanced illness and pain.

Over the past 8 years, she has served as a wound expert witness completing chart reviews for institutions facing litigation for the occurrence or worsening of pressure injuries or other wounds.

To help address the shortage of wound and palliative-specialized clinicians, she launched an app, “Wound Care Pro” for clinicians treating patients with wounds, whether wound healing or palliation is the goal.  It was initially named “Palliative Wound Pro,” but aimed to be more inclusive as the same wound care principles typically apply while the goals of care may differ.

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$50.00 per hospice location.  Price is based per hospice location.  One line per location.

Please register any location you would like to have participate!

No refunds.  We will record the training.