Why Most Wounds Don’t Heal in Hospitals & What a Wound Care Specialist Can Do

When patients enter hospitals with severe wounds, they may be stabilized, but true wound healing often remains elusive. While hospitals excel at acute care, they face systemic challenges in achieving real and lasting wound recovery. This gap in care leaves many patients cycling between facilities and home without ever fully healing. West Coast Wound Center solves this problem by providing wound care that continues the healing process hospitals start but often can’t finish. A wound care specialist can help in a variety of ways. 

The Hospital’s Role in Wound Care: Crisis Management Over Healing

Hospitals provide essential wound stabilization through:

• Emergency debridement of infected tissue
• Initial infection control
• Basic wound dressings
• Patient stabilization for underlying conditions

However, several factors prevent hospitals from achieving complete wound healing:

Short-Term Treatment Focus

The average hospital stay for wound patients is usually only a few days – barely enough time to control infection, let alone achieve meaningful healing. Patients are often discharged with “improved” but unhealed wounds.

Limited Specialized Resources

While hospitals have wound care teams, they’re typically stretched thin across entire facilities. The brief daily wound checks common in hospitals pale in comparison to the focused attention chronic wounds require.

Institutional Infection Risks

Despite the best efforts of all involved, H=hospital-acquired infections affect patients daily. For wound patients, this means constant exposure to dangerous pathogens that can undermine healing progress.

Skilled Nursing Facilities – What to Know 

Many patients transition from hospitals to SNFs (Skilled Nursing Facilities), but these institutions face their own healing barriers:

Staffing Ratios

The average SNF nurse cares for many patients simultaneously, making consistent wound monitoring nearly impossible.

Treatment Capabilities

Most SNFs lack:

• Advanced wound therapies
• Specialized dressings
• An on-site wound care specialist (or even an accessible one)

Revolving Door Effect

SNFs focus on rehabilitation goals rather than wound resolution, often discharging patients when their benefits expire – regardless of wound status. Here at West Coast Wound Care, we can fill that gap. 

How West Coast Wound Center Continues the Journey of Healing

Our wound care services bridge the gaps left by hospitals and SNFs through:

Facility Partnerships

We embed our specialists directly in partnered SNFs to provide:

• Daily wound assessments
• Advanced debridement
• Pressure injury prevention (“skin sweeps”)
• Staff education

Continuity of Care

Patients transitioning from hospital to home maintain the same wound care team throughout recovery, eliminating dangerous care transitions.

Advanced Modalities

We bring hospital-grade treatments to wherever the patient is, including:

• Negative pressure wound therapy
• Cellular and tissue-based products
• Custom offloading devices
• Hyperbaric oxygen coordination

Prevention-Focused Approach

Our “skin sweeps” identify at-risk areas before wounds develop, particularly important for:

• Diabetic patients
• Immobile residents
• Vascular-compromised individuals

The Post-Discharge Healing Solution

For patients sent home with unhealed wounds, West Coast Wound Center provides:

Home-Based Specialized Care

Our mobile units deliver:

• Weekly wound progress tracking
• Advanced dressing changes
• Infection monitoring
• Nutritional counseling

Caregiver Empowerment

We train family members in:

• Proper wound maintenance
• Danger sign recognition
• Prevention techniques

Seamless Transitions

Our specialists coordinate with:

• Discharge planners
• Home health agencies
• Primary care providers

Making Wound Healing Accessible

West Coast Wound Center eliminates the geographic and systemic barriers that prevent complete healing by:

Removing Transportation Hurdles

Our mobile teams serve patients wherever they reside – no stressful clinic trips required.

Bypassing Facility Limitations

We bring the full spectrum of wound therapies directly to:

• Private homes
• Assisted living facilities
• Nursing homes
• Rehabilitation centers

Simplifying Complex Cases

Our specialists handle the most challenging wounds, including:

• Radiation-induced injuries
• Vasculitic ulcers
• Non-responsive surgical wounds

Hospitals save lives, but wounds need time and specialized attention to truly heal. West Coast Wound Center provides the missing piece – dedicated wound healing that continues long after discharge. For patients tired of bouncing between facilities without resolution, our mobile specialists deliver the consistent, advanced care needed to finally close the wound healing gap.

If you or a loved one has left a hospital with unhealed wounds, specialized help is available without another institutional stay. West Coast Wound Center brings complete wound healing directly to you – wherever you call home. Make an appointment today.