My mother has been in memory care for 6 months. She has advanced dementia. In the past month she has developed a pressure sore which the team at her facility have not been able to control. It has become necrotic. They want to call in hospice or have her moved to a skilled nursing facility because they say they cannot take care of the wound. Because of their assessment her insurance is refusing any more treatment, saying the wound is "unsealable". We took her to a wound care center last week and they claim it is definitely treatable. It seems we are at the mercy of the insurance company. If they continue to refuse further treatment we will have to call in hospice or move her to a SNF. We feel that moving her at this point will create more depression and confusion. Any advice? Will hospice do any wound treatment or will they only provide comfort?
The wound care nurse recommended using toothbrush (yes, that's right, a toothbrush), to brush the wound. We found a dermatologist, he saw Mom at the center, recommended specific treatment (which I don't recall now) and cured the wound.
I don't recall how deep it was, but it was an eye opening experience into the lack of competency at rehab centers as well as that local hospital (which now has a list of malpractice suits against it.)
I hope you find a good solution and that your mother heals quickly and properly. Good nutrition would I believe also play a part, so you might want to check her meals and make sure she's getting good food.
Offhand, I don't recall which vitamins are good for healing. I did search, but I'd rather you rely on the doctor as I don't know what other conditions Mom may have.
Also, you might ask for an alternating pressure pad mattress if the wound isn't on her feet; my father had one for home recovery. Alternating sections of a pad are raised and lowered so that body parts aren't continually resting (or rubbing) against a particular area.
I've also seen nurses put wadded up blankets or something else under a foot to keep the skin from abrading and chafing against a mattress.
If the nurses at the care center don't have them available, I believe they can be bought as I've seen posts here in which others inquires about sources for them.
Best wishes for a successful outcome!
Isn't Mom on Medicare with a supplement? Or is it Medicare advantage?