Leg ulcers in the course of chronic venous insufficiency in nursing home care

Introduction: Increase in the number of patients with leg ulcers and deficiency in self-care, as well as the seriousness of the problem, impose on family nurses the need for continuous extension of their knowledge, improvement of skills and undertaking cohesive actions in order to create the standard for nursing home care of patients with leg ulcers. The nursing home care shall be holistic, multidirectional and interdisciplinary, aiming at curing or minimizing negative results of the disease and allowing the patient to improve comfort and quality of life.

Aim of the study: Evaluation of patients’ satisfaction with the benefits of family nurses in patient care with ulceration.

Material and methods: Analysis of documentation of family nurses – provision of nursing services in home care of patients with leg ulcers, and the author’s anonymous questionnaire with a point scale, assessing the level of the services.

Results and conclusions: A number of patients with leg ulcers, requiring complex nursing care at home, constantly increases. In most cases nurses provide only treatment and care services to patients. The assessment of family nurses actions is positive in the opinion of patients. Nurses spend little time on preparing patients/families to self-care, they omit developing skills in coping with disability.