The right diagnosis, and the right treatment at the right time can mean many wounds can be healed.
That’s the key message the Far West Local Health District is highlighting for Wound Awareness Week 2023 (4-10 September) under the theme ‘Let’s Get Wound Care Right!’
Megan Jordan, Clinical Nurse Consultant Wound Management, Far West LHD says seeking professional advice early can often stop an acute wound from becoming chronic.
“Understanding the chronic wound warning signs will help people know when to seek professional wound advice and with the right wound diagnosis, many wounds can be healed with timely treatment,” Ms Jordan said.
Far West LHD staff are geared up to promote Wound Awareness Week (back, from left): Kirsten Smith (EN), Megan Jordan (Clinical Nurse Consultant), Sam Lloyd (EN), Babette Cruickshank (Student Registered Nurse) and Clancy Seager (EN). Front: Michele Hall (Enrolled Nurse), Paula Toohey (EN), Trudy Rennie (EN), Hannah Crowley (Clinical Nurse Specialist) and Jashanpreet Kaur (Registered Nurse).
The early warning signs of a chronic wound can be:
pain and heat at the wound
odour from the wound
excess fluid from the wound
slow healing wounds
Far West Local Health District have several wound care settings, ranging from Community Nursing, Outpatient Wound Clinics, Clinical Nurse Consultant Chronic and Complex Wound and Stoma Clinic.
The Clinical Nurse Consultant Chronic and Complex Wound and Stoma Clinic also offer Telehealth reviews in consultation with our remote district sites.
Ms Jordan said more than 450,000 Australians live with a chronic wound and the cost of managing this is more than $3 billion annually.
“We hope Wound Awareness Week can help raise awareness in the community of the impact of wounds and the services and treatments available to help,” Ms Jordan said.
Wound Awareness Week is Wounds Australia’s most significant annual campaign to improve awareness of chronic wounds and influence wound management policy.
Getting wound care right at every step – diagnosis, treatment and timing – requires professionals caring for people living with, or at risk of, a wound to have specialised training and expertise.
To support this, Far West LHD staff will be taking part in Wound Awareness activities during the week, including local and online education sessions.
These sessions will provide clinicians with practical skills and knowledge to deliver wound care to our community. They cover various topics including; Wound Care and the Multidisciplinary Team, Caring for Wounds in Ageing Australians, Wound Lifestyle Factors, Getting Wound Care Right, and Wound Assessment and Management Planning.
Staff will also be perfecting their baking skills to partake in the ‘Wounds Awareness Week Big Oozie Bake Off!’
To bring local community awareness to prevention and management of chronic wounds, the Broken Hill Health Service will also have a display in the foyer for Wound Awareness Week.
This will include information brochures for consumers on preventing chronic wounds, pressure injury prevention and management, the signs and symptoms of a chronic wound or wound deterioration.
At the display our community and staff will also be able to talk with Ms Jordan about the region’s wound care settings that may best suit the individual’s needs.
Far West Local Health District (FWLHD) is encouraging all of us to stand together in solidarity during Ochre Ribbon Week (12-19 February 2025) to raise awareness and foster safer communities for Aboriginal people.
People are being urged to seek help if they notice changes in their health, with new data from the Cancer Institute NSW showing 235 people are projected to be diagnosed with cancer in Far West Local Health District in 2025.