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Have been to the hospital this week 3 times as mother keeps removing bandage and honey plaster. How long does it take for an ulcer to heal and how often should the honey plaster be changed.

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It can take several weeks for an ulcer to heal, depending on other medical conditions (CHF, diabetes, poor circulation, etc.), the location of the wound and wound treatment. I'm assuming since your mother keeps removing the bandage she has some level of cognitive decline and that complicates wound treatment. My experience has been seniors with cognitive problems pick at or worry over a bandage that they can see or that is causing some level of pain or itching. Sometimes a topical antithetic can provide a couple of hours of discomfort relief. Sometimes wearing clothing that makes it more difficult to see or touch the wound helps keep the bandage on a little longer, although the extra clothing may make some other care aspect more difficult to manage. If your mother tends to pick at the actual wound once she gets the bandage off, I suggest you keep her hands as clean as possible. I used a washcloth and soft bristled hand brush to clean hands and under the nails as often as my father would tolerate.

My understanding is that plasters should be changed at least daily, more often if the wound is weeping because you don't want to wound to remain "wet" in the weeping fluids (moist is very good, wet is not so good). I suggest checking with your mother's doctor or a nurse practitioner about her wound care. I have found nurse practitioners often have better hands on care advice while still being aware of medicines or bandage types that aid healing. I also placed a "pad" made from a folded sheet under the wound and replaced that each time the bandage came off.
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Josie99 ; I would look for a HOME HEALTH to go right to your house so you do not go to hospital all the time.Or I would call Vitas they will do wound care its comfort management also I know for a Fact that vitas hospice is one of the only hospices that use antibiotics if your mom needs antibiotics vitas will comply .My Aunt had celluitis in her legs & vitas gave antibiotics to her just 2 months ago.
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I agree with a woundcare nurse. They know what to look for if problems come up.

When my Moms bandage kept coming off, my daughter, wound care RN, took a sock with a long stretchy top and cut the top off. She then put it on Moms leg covering the bandage. So it wouldn't get wet, she wrapped Glad Press and seal around the bandage covering the skin on top and bottom. Gives a great seal and comes off easily.
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You want to get a specialist wound care nurse onto this. They are the ones with the expertise in applying the dressings so that they're difficult to remove, and they can also show/tell you what to do if/when it happens.

In particular, how to manage and change the dressing depends a lot on the type of wound, its location, and what dressing exactly is being used. Some of them you *don't* take off for quite a while and there are good reasons for it.

Healing time will depend on so many factors that it's impossible to say - again, your wound care nurse will be your best source of advice. Who is currently leading this treatment (I mean, what sort of practitioner)?
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Olive oil is also very soothing and heals wounds quickly, and an activated charcoal poultice with olive oil will prevent and control infection in and around the wound. Depending on the depth and size of the wound, i would say you should see improvement within three days, with complete healing in about a week. Do not use tape to hold it on, instead use vetwrap. It is not sticky like tape and will not burn the skin, instead it sticks to itself via tension. Happy healing and to God, the Great Healer, be the glory!
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Shane1124 Mar 2019
I wouldn’t do this without a doctor’s order. No offense meant. Charcoal is not antimicrobial (if you can site a source for this I would be very interested to read it). Olive oil to my knowledge serves no purpose as a dressing besides being slippery.

Venous status ulcers take weeks to heal. Sometimes the patient may need an ultrasound of the blood vessels in the person’s leg to check for blockages in blood flow and maybe a stent placement or angioplasty to restore blood flow as the area needs good blood circulation to heal. So many factors.
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Home health is the best way to go. All the other answers are great. I use Bag Baum on my mom alternating with clear patches. She seems to leave them on longer.
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As TNtechie stated it will take weeks for leg ulcers from lymphedema or chronic PVD to heal. That’s because of compromised blood circulation to the legs, depends on if she keeps them elevated and depends on her nutritonal status as well. If your mother’s serum albumin is low she will have a tendency to have more LE edema as well. Albumin level is one indicator of the person’s nutrition. I will bet your mother has a low albumin (<3.5). Albumin is a protein and draws fluid from the tissue back into the blood stream as well. Also absolutely no salt & salty food.

From my experience in home care LE ulcers need all factors above to heal- proper hydration, nutrition and water pills help. It’s hard for the ace wraps to stay intact on lower legs. Our orders were these dressings be changed daily & the family were taught how to do the woundcare, which is usually a vasoline dressing as vasoline won’t stick to the wound when changing it, Honey is another alternative or calcium alginate silver (silver in alginate is antimicrobial).

If your mother’s leg ulcers are from lymphedema, try to seek out a lymphedema clinic in your area. They have alternating pressure devices the staff use to try to get the lymphedema reabsorbed.
Lymphedema treatment is management of the symptoms & generally is persistent.

Do the best you can to redress the area when she pulls the dressings off. Those ulcers must be kept clean and dressed to avoid infection.

It takes a lot of time and treatment to heal those leg ulcers. Observe for s/s infection - ask her provider what you should be reporting for infection s/s.

Lastly have her PCP write orders to be followed at a woundcare
center usually once a week.

The staff will measure the wound weekly which will help assess for improvement.
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Josie 99 ; Just curious how the wound care is going with your Mother I hope you can find a home health to address this wound care , now a days they have all kinds of portable equipment to help you at home you can even do an IV at home I really hope you find the best help. keep us updated....hugs to you
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Josie99 Mar 2019
Much better now this week does not need dressing for 5 days this week ,and have given us a nurse nearer home thank you
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Manila honey from Australia or New Zealand. Look it up. It’s not edible
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Shane, CountryMouse and others are absolutely right, and I was wrong to give the answer I did, and I apologize. I am not a health care practitioner of any kind, and giving medical advice of any kind over an internet forum like this without seeing the patient was arrogant and foolhardy to say the least. I truly apologize and hope your LO is improving. 😊🤗
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