What areas in skin and wound care will be affected by the recent revisions to the Quality of Life and Environment section tags in the State Operations Manual: Guidance to Surveyors?
The following are some suggestions that will assist in compliance:
• Staff should not just show up whenever it is convenient for them to provide wound or skin care treatments. Discuss with the resident the best time to provide care.
• Store wound and skin care treatment supplies in secure locations in each resident’s room, to avoid pushing a community treatment cart.
• Do not post signs in residents’ rooms or in staff work areas that are visible to other residents and/or visitors that include confidential clinical information such as turning schedules, toileting times, lists of residents with pressure ulcers, etc.
• Prior to entering a resident’s room to provide skin care, knock on the door and wait for permission to enter.
• Address residents with a name of their choice, not yours.
• Ask for permission to move or inspect a resident’s furniture or personal possessions when setting up your equipment for wound/skin care.
• If you need to turn the television or radio off while providing wound/skin care, ask for permission first before doing so.
• Keep the resident informed on what you are doing; explain each step or action beforehand. In other words, do not spray normal saline over a wound and then say, “Oh, I bet that was cold.”
• Try to conceal wound dressings under residents’ clothing or lap robe, or use less obvious flesh-colored bandages.
• If utilizing a pressure redistribution mattress/bed, make sure that the bed is the proper size and height for the convenience of the resident.
From the June 01, 2009 Issue of McKnight's Long-Term Care News
