advanced foot wound being treated

What To Do When Wounds Won't Heal - Community's Advanced Wound Center

When you’ve been seriously wounded in an accident, it’s an emergency situation. Your first step should always be to stop the bleeding and seek medical attention. But for people who’ve been living with lesser wounds, it can feel like anything but an emergency. It can become just another fact of life.

If you have a wound that isn’t healing, you don’t have to grin and bear it. Community Health Network’s Advanced Wound Center can put you on the path to healing once and for all.

Our Advanced Wound Center isn’t an urgent care center — it’s where to turn when a chronic wound doesn’t show signs of healing after 30 days. We specialize in treating wounds from a variety of medical perspectives, and with an eye for your overall health.

Our team of physicians includes primary care physicians, general and plastic surgeons, podiatrists and others who each have a special approach to wound healing. You’ll get comprehensive care without bouncing between different locations.

How can I tell that my wound needs attention?

There comes a point when you realize that a wound isn’t getting better on its own. For most patients, that’s around 4-6 weeks after the wound first appears.

These are the most common signs that a wound needs medical attention:

  • The wound is red and swollen.
  • The wound feels hot to the touch.
  • The wound is painful.
  • The wound is infected. It may show all the signs listed above, and has drainage that smells bad.

We move quickly when you need our help. More than 90% of patients will have their first appointment at the Advanced Wound Center within 48 hours of referral.

How can I keep my wound safe before my appointment?

There’s a lot of misinformation about wound care, so here are two simple rules to follow:

  1. Keep your wound as clean as possible. You can rinse it with distilled water, but don’t soak it in the bathtub. Don’t use regular soap, alcohol or hydrogen peroxide on it until a doctor gives the okay.
  2. Keep your wound covered. Wounds don’t need to “breathe,” so don’t leave it open to the air. Cover your wound with a gauze or bandage so bacteria doesn’t find a way in.

How long will it take for my wound to heal?

It can take up to 3-4 months for a serious wound to fully heal. That being said, many of the wounds we treat achieve healing within 14 weeks of regular wound care. During that time we’ll see you for weekly visits to clean and measure the wound to ensure it’s healing properly.

We’ll also make sure you have all the tools you need to care for the wound at home. We’ll prescribe dressings and help you manage the comorbidities that might get in the way of proper healing.

What keeps a wound from healing quicker?

The best thing you can do to help a wound heal quicker is to be an advocate for your own health. We want you to feel empowered on the path to healing, but we know that’s not always easy to follow medical advice if you don’t have the means to do so.

These are just some of the factors that can prevent a wound from healing in a timely manner:

  • You’re malnourished. If your diet is mostly fast foods or packaged foods, you might not be getting the right nutrients to help your wound heal properly.
  • Money is tight. It can be hard to stick to your doctor’s advice if you can’t afford to. Maybe your insurance doesn’t cover what’s prescribed, or the recommended orthotics are too much for you to cover out of pocket.
  • You live alone. Taking care of a wound isn’t easy, especially if you live by yourself. Certain types of wound dressing can be a real challenge to put on without help from another person.
  • You have comorbidities. Other health factors can prevent a wound from healing. For example, if you’re a smoker or if you have diabetes then your body might not be able to close up wounds quickly.

No matter what’s standing between you and healing, Community stands by you. Your case manager can help you get the support you need, so you can be an active participant in your healing journey.

You might qualify for home care, meal vouchers or bus passes to help you get to your appointments. We might be able to prescribe a compression stocking that’s easier to put on, or even help you find coverage to ease your financial concerns.

A great way to find help near home is to use our Community Connections tool. Just type in your ZIP code and see how to get the support you need.

 

If you have a wound that won’t heal, don’t wait. Every week matters, and it’s safe to get care even during the COVID-19 pandemic. Schedule an appointment at Community’s Advanced Wound Center. With locations at Community Hospitals East, North and Anderson as well as Community Howard Regional Health, the care you need is close to home.