4 Advantages From Choosing In Home Wound Care Over Hospital Treatment

While obviously not all wounds are stable enough to be treated with daily visits from a skilled nurse, many patients with surgical complications and diabetic ulcers can benefit from receiving treatment at home instead of in a hospital. In fact, it's such a good fit for so many patients that over 30% of home care recipients are receiving wound care as at least part of their treatment. Discover how home wound treatments can give you better results, as long as the treatment plan is managed and approved by your doctor.

Lower Costs

Whether you're relying on Medicare, private insurance, or personal savings to finance your wound care treatments, the fact remains that hospital stays are far more costly than home treatments. For example, a basic pressure ulcer like a bed sore can cost up to $70,000 if it's treated in a hospital. In contrast, skilled nursing visits usually cost no more than $150 per day. Even if the wound requires daily attention for a few weeks, the cost is significantly lower for home healthcare.

Reduced Infection Risks

Staying out of the hospital means staying away from infection risks that can slow down healing or even lead to death. While aggressive hospital-acquired staph infections have been all over the news for the last few years, even a basic E. coli infection can turn a healing wound into a worsening one. Staying at home exposes you to fewer risk factors, as long as the skilled nurse or other medical professional providing your care follows proper disinfection procedures.

Fewer Complications

It turns out that even with advanced wound care treatment technology, such as vacuum systems that manage fluids and control bacteria exposure, patients who use the treatments at home experience fewer complications. It might be the extra incentive for the patient join in on their wound care routine that's improving the results, but whatever the reason, there's no need to worry that using certain wound treatments at home will put you at risk for uncontrolled bleeding or tissue necrosis.

Greater Comfort Levels

Finally, don't underestimate the power of comfort when it comes to speeding up wound healing. A hospital is a very stressful place full of noise and other distractions, and the cost alone of inpatient treatments can stress patients to the point of reduced healing. Staying at home allows a patient to relax and relieve their stress without sacrificing quality care, as long as a nurse trained in wound care is available to provide the right treatments.