Chronic wound caring ... a long journey toward healing.

Healthcare professionals use words like "frustrating," "expensive," and "time-consuming" to describe chronic wound care. Healing a wound that has been present for an extended period of time is difficult. Often the problem is not just the wound but also the "woundedness" of the individual with the wound. The patient's needs in chronic wound care often continue over months, years, or even a lifetime. This article addresses more than the wound--it offers healthcare professionals' accounts of patient stories and their active involvement in the long journey toward chronic wound healing.