Mr. Chan is a old aged home resident. Due to advanced age and multiple chronic diseases, he becomes more and more dependent and bed bounded. As a result of extremely limited mobility and persistent incontinence, a severe pressure injury developed over the sacral area.

The old aged home nursing team had been providing routine wound care and daily nursing support, including basic cleansing and dressing changes. However, due to limitations in resources, more advanced wound management and professional wound care techniques could not be implemented. The wound condition remained recurrent and showed no significant improvement over an extended period.

As the risk of further deterioration became increasingly apparent, the family decided to seek external professional wound care support, hoping to secure a more effective and targeted treatment approach for Mr. Chan.

Comprehensive Assessment by a YDCare Specialist Nurse

In October 2025, YDCare’s wound care specialist nurse conducted an on-site comprehensive assessment. The evaluation confirmed a Stage 4 pressure injury, with deep tissue involvement and bone exposure, alongside coexisting incontinence-associated dermatitis (IAD).

After thoroughly assessing wound depth, peri-wound skin condition, and Mr. Chan’s overall health status, YDCare developed a treatment plan centered on Negative Pressure Wound Therapy (NPWT). The plan was designed to integrate with existing old aged home measures, with the aim of reducing infection risk and improving overall wound healing efficiency.

Phased Treatment Approach with Progressive Wound Healing

During the initial phase of treatment, Mr. Chan received approximately two months of S&N Renasys NPWT, combined with professional debridement and appropriate wound bed preparation. This approach effectively controlled wound exudate, promoted granulation tissue formation, and gradually improved the condition of the deep wound bed.

Subsequently, a one-month of S&N PICO was implemented during the final recovery phase. This supported the transition toward wound closure by maintaining a stable healing environment and facilitating continued tissue repair.

The pressure injury was managed specifically with NPWT, while the coexisting incontinence-associated dermatitis was also treated. We were using dedicated skin protection and incontinence care products. This holistic care approach ensured optimal treatment outcomes for both conditions.

YDCare’s wound care team also proactively liaise with the old aged home nursing staff, proposing and coordinating specific care measures—such as the use of pressure-relieving air mattresses, repositioning every four hours, and optimized incontinence care—to ensure alignment with the overall wound management strategy. In addition, YDCare arranged a dietitian to focus on enhancing protein intake to support wound healing from a nutritional perspective.

Specialist Nurse–Led Care: Saving Time and Reducing Overall Costs

Throughout the care planning process, the family was particularly concerned about long-term costs and the predictability of treatment outcomes.

If care had relied solely on daily visits by general nurses for basic wound cleansing, the monthly service fees alone could have exceeded the total cost of a specialist nurse–led care plan. In some cases, such expenses may reach more than double the cost of a comprehensive wound specialist nurse-led package that includes specialist assessment, wound care, debridement, advanced dressings, and NPWT consumables.

More importantly, basic wound care alone does not effectively address deep Stage 4 pressure injuries and offers limited ability to predict healing timelines. Families are often left facing prolonged and open-ended expenses without clear expectations of wound improvement or closure.

In contrast, a treatment pathway led by a wound care specialist nurse beginning with thorough clinical assessment and followed by the appropriate use of advanced wound care technologies, allows for more precise intervention tailored to the wound’s actual condition.

This approach facilitates wound healing within a clearer timeframe, enabling families to make more informed decisions regarding both clinical outcomes and financial planning. For complex, deep, and long-standing pressure injuries, goal-oriented specialist nurse intervention is often significantly more time-efficient and cost-effective than repetitive basic care alone.

Want to Seek Help?

If a family member is experiencing recurrent wound deterioration or prolonged wound care with little improvement, early assessment by a wound care specialist nurse can be a critical turning point in the treatment journey.

YDCare provides specialist nurse–led home-based wound assessment and treatment services, including NPWT, debridement, dressing selection, and cross-disciplinary care coordination. Our team supports families in navigating complex wound conditions with clearer treatment direction and more predictable outcomes.

For further information or to discuss a care plan tailored to your family member’s needs, please feel free to contact us.