Protocol of Pressure Ulcers Management in Home Health Care −Algorithm of Nutritional Assessment and Management−

Abstract

The purpose of this study was, to develop an algorithm of nutritional assessment and management in pressure ulcer management through standardization of judgement and care delivered by nurses in home health care setting. Self-administered questionnaires were sent to 315 active nurses who belong to 32 home visiting nurses stations. The questionnaires included items, which refer the guideline of pressure ulcer treatment by Agency for Health Care Policy and Research of the US department of Health and Human Services.

The response rate was 41.6%. The findings of this study showed that the home health care nurses employed the following items for nutritional assessment and management: 1）items related nutritional condition and factors influencing its improvement and their criteria, 2）ways to assess water balance per day, 3）physical and psychosocial health which may affect orally dietary intake, and 4）ways of dietary and water supplementation, The terms and numerical values by the use of the subjects on each item were defined as standardization or criteria. On the basis of these results, one algorithm was developed.

This algorithm requires further research to examine its reliability and validity.