Wound Management Practice

Wound Management Practice

I n t ro d u c t i o n Often a helping hand is all you need but for those occasions when more is required, we are here to help Lighthouse Health Group is a highly-respected private rehabilitation provider that operates throughout Australia with local offices and health staff situated in Sydney, Brisbane and Perth. We are the only provider operating in Australia that is certified as a Quality Endorsed Company under the ISO-9001:2008 standard. Our goal is to provide guidance to our clients by delivering expert advice and solutions to complex healthcare issues and situations using evidenced-based methodologies hence our logo and reference to the Lighthouse. Our wound management practice offers the very best expert advice currently available on tissue viability, wound assessment/treatment and education and we cater for all types of acute and chronic wounds in children and adults. This information booklet supplements our main corporate service brochure and explains in simple terms, what we do and how we do it. We invite you to spend just a few minutes reading through this material and if you do require more than just a helping hand why not give us a call. We are available 7 days-a-week, 24 hours-a-day for emergency support Quality ISO 9001

T h e Human Skin Did you know that the skin is the largest organ in our body and that its major function is to protect underlying cells, prevent bacteria from entering the body, provide sensation of pressure, touch, pain and temperature, regulate body temperature and to assist in normal fluid balance (sweating and perspiration). Alterations to these major functions may increase the risk of wounds developing, as well as any existing wounds healing properly. Over the past 10 years a lot of effort has gone into making people in Australia aware of the damaging effects of the sun and for those that have shown signs of skin cancers, appropriate treatment is available and sought from skin specialists. Unfortunately, the same level of awareness does not exist about the complexity of wounds and the effect they can have on one s quality of life. Lighthouse Health Group has worked with catastrophicallyinjured people for many years. This group is particularly susceptible to developing wounds and for this reason we decided to establish our own wound management practice offering a truly holistic patient-focused service throughout Australia to ensure that the largest organ of the body is cared for appropriately. Since the introduction of our wound practice we have expanded our wound care services to now cater for all ages and all wounds not just those that are catastrophically injured.

W o u n d M a n ag e m e n t Serv i c e s Lighthouse Health Group offers four wound management services across Australia. 1. General Wound Management Consulting 2. Wound Diagnostic Services 3. Wound Clinic 4. Wound Education and Training

G e n e r a l Wound C a r e Consult i n g Portal Our consulting portfolio comprises four principle functions: Wound Care Case Management Health Care Provider Wound Support particularly for nursing homes and private hospitals Private Clinical Wound Consulting Medico-Legal Wound Care Reporting Telephone Computer Photography Video Our Tissue Viability Nurse (a registered nurse with a post-graduate degree in wound care) is available to travel to a client s residence or a nursing home/private hospital and perform a comprehensive clinical wound assessment. This assessment will then be followed by the preparation of a comprehensive wound management plan. The aim of this service is to provide best-practice wound management treatment and support, whilst at the same time, to educate the client and his/her carers about the wound healing process and the appropriate use of dressing products. W o u n d Diag n o st i c Serv i c e s Our Wound Service allows those clinicians and clients living in rural and/or remote areas throughout Australia to have the same ready access to our expert wound care consulting service. Instead of the normal face-to-face clinical consultation, we instead use a combination of the very latest communication technologies offered through our www. lighthousehealthgroup.com internet portal. Using any combination of the above methods allows effective wound assessment and a holistic management plan to be developed within the comfort of your own home/facility. Wounds can cause discomfort, pain, disfigurement and also place limits on a person s activities of daily living and quality of life. Therefore, this convenient and technology-based approach ensures prompt and effective wound services whilst at the same time reducing the overall cost and personal inconvenience of travel and appointment time.

W o u n d Clinic Our wound clinic specialises in treating all acute and chronic wounds. All treatment is based on the latest clinical evidence and we use the latest state-of-the-art dressing products to aid the healing process. A multi-disciplinary team (including our Tissue Viability Nurse, Occupational Therapist, Physiotherapist and Social Worker), together with your General Practitioner and other community services (eg, dietician, plastic surgeon, ACAT, etc.) ensures that a truly holistic approach is provided to all clients as and when required. Wound healing is not simply about using the latest dressing products available, but also involves determining the underlying cause and contributing factors of the wound such as nutritional status, medical history, medications, blood examinations, mobility, activities of daily living that may all impede wound healing. During your clinic appointment a wound management plan will be developed that addresses all these factors. Treatment is normally provided on a weekly basis initially, and may include cleansing of the wound, education on wound assessment and the use of specialty dressings including the use of newly approved technologies for wound healing. Community nurse involvement can be arranged if supervision and dressing changes are required between appointments.

W o u n d Educat i o n A n d Training Education is the key to wound prevention and effective wound management. Patients and health professionals need to know and understand the factors that contribute to the development of wounds and wound healing to ensure the client is receiving maximum care and support during their wound care journey. All our Wound Management Practice services ensure that all patients have a pivotal role in their own wound management. They are required to be involved and take as much responsibility in the management of their care as possible. Each wound consult incorporates educational tools to attain knowledge and understanding in wound healing. This provides the client with insight and involves them in their own care. Lighthouse Health Group also offers educational wound training packages (structured to meet Government Skills Australia guidelines) for health professionals working in private community nursing, nursing home and private hospital settings. Individualised educational packages can be developed covering all aspects of wound care to suit different professional groups and levels of knowledge. For more information on our educational services, please contact our National Head Office.

C o n ta c t U s SYDNEY National Head Office & Clinic Level 6 South Tower 1-5 Railway Street CHATSWOOD NSW 2067 PO Box 19 Chatswood NSW 2057 P: +61 2 9904 8560 F: +61 2 9904 7853 National Head Office & Clinic email: guidance@lighthousehealthgroup.com Web: www.lighthousehealthgroup.com BRISBANE Level 2 345 Ann Street BRISBANE QLD 4001 PERTH Level 3 83 Mill Point Road SOUTH PERTH WA 6151 Lighthouse Health Group Pty Limited ABN 098 051 668 Lighthouse Health Group WA Pty Limited ABN 135 758 968 Our Wound Care Clinic is conveniently located directly above the Chatswood Railway Interchange (on the North Shore and Epping lines) and Bus Depot, and is fully wheelchair accessible. A taxi rank is located at the front door. Ample 2 hour street parking exists in all streets surrounding the clinic.