Wounds that need professional care are more common among NDIS participants than most people realise. Pressure injuries from wheelchair use or prolonged bed rest. Surgical wounds after operations. Diabetic ulcers that will not heal. Skin tears from transfers. These are not minor scrapes. They are clinical issues that can deteriorate quickly without proper management.
The question participants and families usually have is: does this need a nurse, or can a support worker handle it? The short answer is that if the wound needs assessment, clinical dressing, infection monitoring, or coordination with a GP or specialist, it needs a nurse.
What wound care nursing involves
A wound care nurse assesses the wound, determines the appropriate treatment plan, applies dressings using evidence based techniques, monitors for signs of infection, documents wound progress, and coordinates with your medical team if the wound is not improving.
For chronic wounds like pressure injuries and diabetic ulcers, the nurse also looks at prevention. What is causing the wound? Can we adjust positioning, equipment, nutrition, or daily routines to reduce the risk of recurrence? Treatment is one thing. Prevention is where the real value sits long term.
When to escalate
Any wound that is getting bigger, smells bad, has increased redness or warmth around it, is producing more discharge than usual, or is causing increasing pain needs to be seen by a nurse urgently. If you are between visits and something changes, call your nursing provider. Do not wait for the next scheduled appointment.
Our nursing team at Acme provides wound care across South East Queensland, including after hours when needed. If you have a wound that needs professional attention, call us on 07 3063 3362.
Need NDIS support in South East Queensland?
Acme Support Services provides nursing, personal care, SIL, and transport across Brisbane, Gold Coast, Logan, Ipswich, Moreton Bay, and Redlands.
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