Wound care is an unfortunate reality of elderly life and of continuing treatment at Brooklyn Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation. As we age, our skin thins and loses elasticity, moisture, and the durability to withstand pressure without damage. These compromising conditions mean that aging skin is prone to tearing without being subject to much friction and pressure sores from sitting or laying in the same position for too long. Perhaps even more seriously, weakened immune systems may succumb more easily to infection, potentially resulting in long-term medical complications.

Due to these risk factors, it is essential that caregivers pay close attention to the healing process to ensure that it progresses in the healthiest manner. Below we’ve listed those stages in order, along with a brief description of each.

Stage 1: Coagulation
Coagulation is when liquid, flowing blood clots or congeals to begin forming a semi-solid or solid barrier, halting the flow of blood outside the body. The process is initiated by platelets, but it involves more than 30 types of cells and substances. As platelets and plasma intertwine, they form a type of mesh that works as a framework for the clot.

Stage 2: Inflammation
Because inflammation is often associated with discomfort, and because there is a huge class of medicines designed to control it, people sometimes assume that all inflammation is negative. On the contrary, inflammation is the body’s response to wounds in any effort to remove anything alien or harmful, and it is a positive sign that the body’s automatic healing process is underway.

Stage 3: Proliferation
If you’ve ever had a skin wound that took an amount of time to heal, there’s a good chance you remember it itching at it healed. This generally happens during proliferation, the stage during which the wound is rebuilt with collagen and other binding substances. Blood vessels are created and the edges of the wound are pulled together to close the gap in the skin.

Stage 4: Maturation
This is the point at which the wound fully closes the collagen from the previous stage is transformed, and it is better arranged in a more permanent fashion. Unnecessary water and cellular materials are disposed of at this stage, as well. This stage generally starts after 21 days in healthy individuals, but it may arrive slightly later in elderly patients.