Search Results for: "Care Issues"

EffectiveOlderPeopleCare.org is a continually updated source of current best evidence from Cochrane systematic reviews which relate to the health care of older people. It focuses on common health problems in old age and different models of service organisation for older people. Disease specific topics are at present excluded. It provides a concise account of the evidence.

The Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) is an independent not-for-profit organization helping to lead the improvement of health care throughout the world. Founded in 1991 and based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, IHI works to accelerate improvement by building the will for change, cultivating promising concepts for improving patient care, and helping health care systems put those ideas into action.

The Ontario Health Coalition is a network of over 400 grassroots community organizations representing virtually all areas of Ontario. Our primary goal is to empower the members of our constituent organizations to become actively engaged in the making of public policy on matters related to health care and healthy communities.

Reliable resources related to hoarding.

Online resource providing access to wound care evidence. Evidence is important in every walk of life, but has gained specific importance in Medicine. Evidence Informed Practice presents important background for the development of Wound Care as a clinical specialty. WoundPedia brings this life through a user-friendly, well-presented, regularly updated, web resource. The information contained within the website has been organized into streams, themes and topics.

Pressure ulceres are a serious health issue for patients in all kinds of settings, even at home. The good news is that most pressure ulcers can be prevented. What’s needed is awareness on the part of patients and health-care professionals about prevention and maintaining a commitment to the actions required to do so. The Canadian Association of Wound Care has designed a pressure ulcer awareness and prevention program. It includes the tools necessary to reduce the numbers of pressure ulcers in all types of settings across Canada.

Maintaining skin integrity can be challenging but it is vital to overall health, particularly in elderly patients. In this population, skin integrity is frequently compromised as a result of under- or over-hydration, which may cause serious complications. Plans of care must include preventive efforts such as the use of barriers and protectants including zinc oxide preparations, petrolatum- and silicone-based ointments and creams, liquid-forming products, adhesive dressings, fluid managers, skin cleansers, and moisturizers. A team approach that includes the patient, caregivers, and healthcare professionals is needed to address patient concerns regarding independence/dependence, utilization of support systems and services, pain, and control of body fluids. The healthcare provider's role in this team should emphasize continuity of care, patient satisfaction, and product selection - all vital to protecting skin integrity.

Clinicians working in wound care appreciate how life for individuals with wounds is disrupted by care, cost issues, and the pain associated with treatment. Although managing pressure ulcers is often a passion for wound care specialists, the majority of the population is unaware of the challenges involved and many healthcare professionals place little emphasis on identifying and treating skin ulcers. The number of individuals seeking wound care services continues to grow, which suggests that pressure ulcers are a relatively common healthcare concern and an escalating problem. Statistics are available regarding the number of pressure ulcers in the US as well as for other countries of the world. However, little information is available about the number of individuals in Canada who have pressure ulcers. National estimates for the number of pressure ulcers in various healthcare settings in regions across Canada are nonexistent. Without this information, estimating costs to the Canadian healthcare system associated with managing chronic wounds is not possible.

In this article, the Canadian Association of Wound Care puts for- ward 12 recommendations for best practices in the prevention and treatment of pressure ulcers that focus on an interdisciplinary patient-centered approach. These recommendations are a synthesis of the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research guidelines, European guidelines, and current literature as interpreted by the Canadian experience and achieved through a national consensus panel. The article concludes that best practice guidelines must be fluid documents that respond to new evidence and experience.