Wounds need to be taken care of to heal faster and avoid infection. For seniors, most of their wounds are caused by surgery, burns, or underlying medical conditions such as diabetes. As a provider of skilled nursing in Texas, here’s how you can take care of your wound or of your loved ones:
- Changing the dressing
When changing the dressing, be sure to wash your hands first with soap and water, then carefully take the dirty dressing off. As a rule in proper wound care, do not touch the healing wound with your fingers to avoid infection. - Do not pull your stitches
If you have stitches from your surgery, you may notice nylon threads protruding from the healing scar. Do not pull these and wait for the stitches to disappear or to be removed. Dissolvable stitches will usually disappear in about 7 to 10 days and for other stitches, your doctor will remove them after 5 to 21 days, depending on the wound. - Avoid putting bathing products on the wound
When showering, make sure not to put any bathing products such as soap, body lotion, or talcum powder directly onto the wound. As a home health care in San Antonio, Texas, we recommend that you also avoid soaking the wound while you are showering as it might soften the scar tissue and re-open the wound.
For more health care tips, All Seasons Home Health and Palliative Care is here to help you. We provide nursing services, physical therapy, and other home health care services for your loved ones. To learn more about our services, you may contact us at 210-767-3867.
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