Community nurses', home carers' and patients' perceptions of factors affecting venous leg ulcer recurrence and management of services.

Abstract

The two elements reported in this paper are taken from a larger study of issues related to venous leg ulcers and their prevention. The first of these concerns is the provision of an aftercare service for older people whose leg ulcers have healed. Focus group methodology was employed to elucidate the views of community nurses and social service home carers. The former group believed that health promotion was largely ineffective in reducing leg ulcer recurrence. The application and removal of compression stockings was regarded as an appropriate task for home carers, while the district nurses indicated that they regarded the management of active lesions as a better use of their skills. The carers from social services, by contrast, felt that skin care should be the responsibility of health service staff. The second element of the study involved a semi-structured questionnaire administered to 12 patients. They tended to regard skin care as a health problem. 31 references .