A home care wound care challenge: its rewards, inspiration, and positive outcomes.

Quite often, home health team members are presented with a challenge to provide management for a patient who has undergone a complex gastrointestinal surgery. An appropriate plan of care includes the incision, wound, and colostomy care, as well as the psychosocial support, time management, and cost issues. Many times this requires ingenuity and flexibility on the part of the home care team. Comorbidities often increase the acuity of the nursing care as well. In any case and no matter how difficult the circumstances, the goal for the patient's plan of care is to achieve an optimal outcome that will encourage independence and a feeling of self-worth.