Did you know the cost of treating a deep pressure ulcer is $61,230 & legal action as much as $632,500 yet the cost of preventing a pressure ulcer is less than $4,000!!
How to not only treat wounds that won’t heal, but how to prevent them… While potentially saving a small fortune in the process
You are so busy, running your facility, looking after your staff and in the blink of an eye a PCA tells you that a resident has a pressure ulcer…You are devastated …because you simply do not know how this could have happened!
You know that you will now have to not only spend extra money on wound dressings, but that your staff, who hardly have time to fit all their work in, will now have even more work.
How do you find your way through the maze of dressings, alternating pressure air mattresses and ways of treating wounds? Well meaning, but misinformed sales reps. and undertrained staff (these days wound care is a specialist field) all have an opinion.
Almost every day I get a new residents with pressure ulcers that have developed because of lack of knowledge, misdiagnosis or faulty equipment. And as you’re probably aware, a pressure ulcer that is left to run away can lead to serious consequences. .. from opening right up into a full blown infection, to amputation of a leg and even death.
The biggest challenge in the industry is finding the time to not only run your facility and look after your staff but to try to keep on top of wounds like this. A recipe for stress, wasted funds and resources and in today’s world, potential lawsuits.
LET ME HELP
Hello! My name is Kate Sharp. I’ve been a top Wound Care Consultant in Sydney, Australia, for many years. I am the Founder & CEO of the amazingly successful Wound Centre®
And I can help you prevent and treat Pressure Ulcers in your RACF.
I can show you the best and easiest ways to not only treat pressure ulcers (even the ones that won’t heal)… but to prevent them before they tie up your resources.
Methods backed by EVIDENCE, case studies and results.
I am willing to share my knowledge with you. I have helped many RACFs become PRESSURE ULCER FREE over the past 13 years & I can do it for you too….
Just PICK UP THE PHONE & CALL ME on my mobile 0408121331 between 9am & 6pm (AEDST) if You LIVE IN AUSTRALIA…there is no charge to talk to me.
Or email me, if you are overseas, at info@thewoundcentre.com
Who am I and why should you believe me?
My passion for pressure ulcer prevention has almost taken over my life for 20 years.
I have had years of University education and even more practical bedside nursing.
Two of my Masters degrees are on the subject of pressure ulcers:
1996 Master of Clinical Nursing (USyd) ‘Assessment of Pressure Ulcer Risk and Guidelines for Prevention; and
2006 Master of Public Health (Research) (UNSW) Pressure Ulcers: risk, physiology and the magnitude of the problem in a Sydney home nursing service. (full thesis available on Google)
Other publications include
Sharp CA, Burr G, Broadbent M, Cummins M, Casey H and Merriman A. Pressure Ulcer Prevention and Care: a survey of current practice. Journal of Quality in Clinical Practice. 20: 150-157 2000
Sharp CA, Burr G, Broadbent M, Cummins M, Casey H and Merriman A. Clinical variance in assessing risk of pressure ulcer development. British Journal of Nursing 2005 14(6) pp. S4-S12
Sharp CA and McLaws M-L. A discourse on pressure ulcer physiology: the implications of repositioning and staging. World Wide Wounds http://www.worldwidewounds.com/2005/october/Sharp/Discourse-On-Pressure-Ulcer-Physiology.html
Sharp CA, Burr G, Broadbent M, Cummins M, Casey H and Merriman A. 2006 Clinical variance in assessing risk of pressure ulcer development. In: Cutting K. ed. Trends in Wound Care Quay Books. London Vol. IV: 67-79
Sharp CA and McLaws M-L. Estimating the risk of pressure ulcer development: is it truly evidence-based? International Wound Journal December 2006 Volume 3 Issue 4 Page 344 – 353
Sharp C. and McLaws, ML. An Hypothesis of the “Middle Model” Concept Annals of Plastic Surgery: June 2010 – Volume 64 – Issue 6 – p 807.Letters to the Editor
Ramstadius B, Sharp CA, Carter R and Cavanagh J. Wound Care Association of NSW Inc. 2000 Pressure Ulcer Prevention Guidelines an Expert Consensus Statement www.ciap.health.nsw.gov.au/wcansw
Sharp CA, Ramstadius B, Blanchfield D. & Wilkins E. Pressure Ulcer Prevention Guidelines Second Edition 2007 – Wound Care Association NSW www.wcansw.com.au
References
[1] Young C. What cost a pressure ulcer? Primary Intention 1997; 5(4): 24-25.
[2] Dean A. Patient’s hospital care ‘inferior.’ 1994 Sydney Morning Herald; Thursday August 25th
Hi Kate,
Really like your site. I have been in the medical industry for 12 years working for manufacturers of equipment – mad passion for pressure care, effective use of systems in particular, step up – step down method, skin toleration and correct use and maintenance of this equipment. I am writing an article for a newsletter in regards to my business Strategic Mode. The main focus of the business is based around equipment solution consulting – training on correct use of equipment, maintenance scheduling (through qualified technicians), equipment condition auditing, pressure ulcer prevalence audits and effective equipment solutions to reduce manual handling and pressure ulcers. Whilst I was writing the article I found your website and have used your post “Did you know the cost of treating a deep pressure ulcer is $61,230 & legal action as much as $632,500 yet the cost of preventing a pressure ulcer is less than $4,000!!” in the newsletter with a reference to your site. The newsletter goes out to 900 readers, so I hope you don’t mind. I’m interested in what you do as its for the greater good! We have gone backwards and there is a definite need for further education and training on the basics, let alone a more indepth look at preventing and treating pressure ulcers. Kind regards Milli
Hello Kate,
I am trying to research the incidence and cost of Pressure Sores in Hospitals and Aged Care facilities and i came across your site. The information is useful for me as i have a product which i think could help these facilities considerably.
My brother suggested I might like this blog. He was totally right. This post actually made my day. You can not imagine just how much time I had spent for this info! Thanks!
Sup!, I love this site just thought i’d let you know
This blog has got a lot of extremely useful information on it! Thanks for informing me!
Thanks for taking time for sharing this page, it was excellent and very informative. It’s my first time that I visit here. I found a lot of informative stuff in your posting. Keep it up. Thank you.
Thank you very much for sharing this because I really need to know how to handle things especially in wounds. Because my uncle do have a Diabetes and he’s wounds doesn’t heal. We are having some hard time on it so, thanks a lot for this post. Good work!