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2023 theme reveal: Let's get wound care RIGHT!
Sunday, 13 August 2023
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We're pleased to share our 2023 Wound Awareness Week theme. 'Let's get wound care RIGHT! The RIGHT diagnosis and the RIGHT treatment at the RIGHT time' encourages Australia to explore what still needs to happen to tackle our costly and damaging wound epidemic. Wound Awareness Week is an annual initiative of Wounds Australia, the national peak health body. Its CEO Helen Jentz said the 2023 theme is building on the work of previous years by focusing on explaining the essential steps to wound healing. "Wound Awareness Week 2022 was our biggest yet, with more people than ever signed up to raise awareness of Australia's wound epidemic," Ms Jentz said. "But we need to make sure Australians have the information, support and services they need to really make an impact and improve wound care. "There are so many points in the wound healing journey where things can go wrong, and that's what this year's Wound Awareness Week is about – being really clear about what 'right' looks like." Wounds Australia Board Chair and expert wound care clinician Hayley Ryan said specialised skills and knowledge were needed to properly diagnose and treat a wound. "With more than 450,000 Australians living with a hard-to-heal wound – and that number is rising each year – we must get wound care right," Ms Ryan said. "So many wounds can be healed if they're diagnosed properly and treated appropriately. "Unfortunately, many people don't know where to go for help or don't see a professional in a timely manner and, when they do, can be diagnosed and treated incorrectly, which can lead to years of unnecessary pain, distress and financial costs – for the individual and for the health system." Ms Jentz said while educating consumers on wound warning signs and sources of reliable support was important, dedicated wound care education and training for health and aged care professionals was crucial to minimising the harm caused by wounds in this country. "If we are serious about cutting Australia's $6.6 billion-a-year wound care bill, we need to support the care professionals dealing with wounds every day with targeted, specialised training," Ms Jentz said. "Helping them get diagnosis and treatment RIGHT will go a long way." ________________ Notes to Media:
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