Aged care provider’s ‘wound care warriors’ lead the fight against the hidden epidemic
During Wound Awareness Week (2-8 September), Uniting NSW.ACT has shone a spotlight on its ‘wound care warriors’: 420 highly trained nurses who work across its services using their knowledge and skills to help reduce the significant physical, emotional and economic impact chronic wounds have on individuals, their families and the health care sector.
Reflecting on the hidden epidemic caused by chronic wounds that affects more than 450,000 Aussies, many of them elderly, and costs the health and aged care budget almost $7 billion a year, Hayley Ryan, Uniting’s Clinical Lead, said:
“At Uniting, we recognise that the impact of chronic wounds is just as significant, if not more so, than other health issues such as heart disease and diabetes.”
“Chronic wounds can lead to prolonged hospital stays, severely reduced quality of life, mental health issues, enormous health care costs, amputations and even premature death”.
As an internationally recognised wound care specialist and immediate Past Chair of Wounds Australia, Hayley has been leading the charge to invest in training programs for Uniting aged care staff and ensure world’s best practice in wound care management – making Uniting a leader in the discipline.
“Through our online learning system, collaborations with Monash University and participation in scholarship programs to gain Master's Degrees, Uniting has created a dedicated team of highly trained professionals providing the highest quality of care to all.
“In recent years we have undergone a significant transformation in our operational approach to wound care – combining world-class training with cutting-edge technology such as the introduction of Augmented Reality smart glasses to treat aged care residents in real-time,” said Hayley.
“Remotely located Uniting nurses can connect with specialists through a command centre to enable swift and advanced wound care treatment and management, from any of our 75 aged care homes across NSW and the ACT.
“The initial pilot trial resulted in a 62% reduction in hospital admissions, a 75% reduction in staff travel time and the prevention of an amputation. We are building our capability as quickly as possible and aim to ensure every one of our aged care homes can access a 24-7 command support centre.”
As Hayley points out, “The current financial crisis gripping Australia’s health care system could be greatly relieved by establishing a national wound care framework backed in by professional development and training qualifications on a much broader basis.
“This Wound Awareness Week, it is important to recognise hard-to-heal wounds are a national emergency demanding immediate action, and Uniting is leading the way.”
