ELDERLY SKIN CARE: Principles of Chronic Wound Care

1. Chronic wounds are a frequently encountered problem in elders. Chronic wounds are characterized by loss of skin or underlying soft tissue and do not progress toward healing with conventional wound care treatment. 2. There are four basic principles of chronic wound care: remove debris and cleanse the wound; provide a moist wound healing environment through the use of proper dressings; protect the wound from further injury; and provide substrates essential to the wound healing process. 3. Underlying the care of chronic wounds is the necessity to assess the wound on an ongoing basis. Changes in wound care must be based on changing wound parameters, and timely, complete, and accurate wound assessments must be documented.