Temple Burn Center adopts holistic approach to fire-related injuries, care

NORTH PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- A holistic approach - treating a patient's body, mind, and soul - has become a vital part of many medical disciplines.

It is also improving burn care in the Temple Burn Center.

"Understanding that burns are complex, that burns can also have long-lasting effects," says Stephanie Velez, DPT, a wound care specialist at the Temple Burn Center

Velez Watson says that while burns occur in an instant, they are often life-changing.

So the Temple team looks beyond the injury.

"We're looking at all aspects of the patient's life before injury, and how it directly impacts them related to the trauma, their diagnoses, and then how will it impact them in future," notes Melissa Loughran, MSN, the center's Director of Nursing Services.

The physical recovery alone can be a long one.

"This could actually go on for years even in the outpatient setting, between therapy and reconstructive surgery, laser surgery," notes Velez Watson.

That can prolong the emotional trauma and adjustment.

"How did this happen, you know, just rethinking over and over the injury," she adds.

Stretching is essential to prevent scars from tightening, but it's often painful.

So Temple uses virtual reality games as both distraction and therapy.

"They're pretty much immersed in. It could be a game," but it does much more, says Velez Watson

"Like we have a Jurassic Park one, we have ones of like just different environments that they can be in," she says, adding, "The games can even help them with their range of motion as well."

Emotionally, burn patients go through phases similar to the grieving process.

So staffers can be a stabilizing constant.

"Sometimes their best friend, their support person, their spouse, their mother, or their father can't connect," observes Loughran.

Patients and their families are connected with resources to smooth the adjustment to a different life.

"This might be related to their self-image. They're at their activities of daily living, their employment, and their, their daily interactions with their loved ones," she says.

Temple is also addressing important factors affecting healing after discharge, such as transportation to appointments and access to healthy food.

"We found a way to get food vouchers for them. We're working on having availability of farm to table," adds Loughran.

There are also support groups for patients and caregivers.

These initiatives help the Temple Burn Center stay connected with burn patients long after they're discharged.

In fact, they often come back to visit.