Wound care in short-term rehabilitation facilities and long-term care: special needs for a special population

Chronic wounds can pose a challenging diagnostic and treatment dilemma in the older frail adult population. The benefits of short-term rehabilitation and long-term care settings are the access to interdisciplinary resources. Rehabilitative specialists, dieticians, and skilled nurses are readily available to meet the patients' needs as they transition to home or remain in a long-term care setting for their higher level of care needs. This article follows 3 cases: a skin tear complicated by venous ulceration, a pressure ulcer with fever, and arterial ulcers in a patient who opts for comfort care. The cases illustrate the higher needs of this population and emphasize the attention that must be paid to respect nursing-time intensiveness, incorporate realistic goals of care for wound healing, and ensure excellent communication with the team members, patients, and family.