Why communication support is part of wound care

Asking for communication support at wound visits is a practical request, not a favor. A wound visit includes questions about your health, an explanation of what the clinician sees and instructions you will follow on your own afterward. If any part of that conversation is hard to hear, read or understand, the plan is harder to follow once the clinician has left.

Gateway arranges visits with partner clinicians across Greater St. Louis and the Metro East. The earlier we know about a communication need, the more time the treating practice has to plan.

Tell us when you first ask for a visit

Bring up communication needs in the first phone conversation, before a visit is scheduled. Our web form asks only for a name and phone number, so share the details when we call you back after you request care, or call 314-325-0126.

Useful things to mention:

  • The language you prefer to speak, and to read if it is different
  • Hearing loss, and whether you use hearing aids, captions, sign language or lip reading
  • Low vision, and whether large print or spoken instructions work better
  • A speech difference, or a communication device you use
  • Difficulty reading, or a preference for pictures and demonstrations
  • Memory or thinking changes that make new information harder to keep
  • The best way and time to reach you

We pass this on to the treating practice and tell you what can be arranged for your location and care setting.

Describe what works for you

A label such as “hard of hearing” helps, but specifics help more. Tell the team what makes a conversation work for you:

  • “Please face me when you talk, and slow down a little.”
  • “Write down the main steps. I will not remember them all.”
  • “Show me how, then watch me do it.”

If you use a communication board, a speech device or a phone app, say how you use it and whether it needs a table, a power outlet or a quiet room. For a visit at home, choose a spot with good light and little background noise, and turn off the television. Our guide to getting ready for a home wound care visit covers the rest of the setup.

Interpreters and family members

If you prefer a language other than English, or you use sign language, ask what interpreter services the treating practice can arrange. Interpreting may be offered in person, by phone or by video, depending on the practice and the setting. Ask how it is set up and whether you need to do anything beforehand.

Many people bring a relative to help, and that is your choice. Keep in mind that a wound visit includes medical terms and private details. A family member may soften, shorten or skip things without meaning to, and children should not be asked to interpret a medical conversation.

A relative can still be present for support while an interpreter handles the language. See our guide to including a family member in your wound care, and read who can receive wound care updates for how permission to share information works.

When you are arranging care for someone else

If you are calling for someone who cannot easily speak for themselves because of dementia, a stroke or another condition, tell us how they communicate now. How do they show pain, fear or refusal? What time of day are they most alert?

Ask for the person who knows them best to be present. Our guide to caring for a loved one with dementia and a wound has more on preparing for these visits.

Check understanding before the visit ends

Before the clinician leaves:

  1. Ask for any unfamiliar word to be explained in plain language.
  2. Repeat the plan in your own words. For example: “I leave this dressing on until the nurse comes Thursday, and I call if it soaks through. Is that right?”
  3. Ask for instructions in a form you can use, such as large print, a short numbered list or your preferred language.
  4. Confirm whom to contact with questions, and how.

Write the main points in a wound care visit notebook, or ask your helper to. If a follow-up is planned by video, ask ahead of time how captions or an interpreter will work on a telehealth wound follow-up.

Common questions

Will I be charged for an interpreter at a wound visit?

Ask the treating practice before the visit. Health care providers generally have a responsibility to communicate effectively with their patients, and many arrange language help at no charge to the patient. The details depend on the practice and the care setting. Gateway can ask for you while we coordinate the visit, but we cannot promise what a particular practice will offer.

Can my daughter interpret for me instead of a professional interpreter?

You can ask, and the treating practice will tell you how it handles the request. She would need to repeat medical words accurately in both directions and hear private details about your health. It is often easier when an interpreter handles the language and the relative is free to listen and take notes.

I miss a lot on the phone. How should I contact Gateway?

Email [email protected] with your name and the best way to reach you, and save medical details for the conversation. You can also call through a telecommunications relay service by dialing 711, or ask someone you trust to call 314-325-0126 with you beside them.

What if I realize after the visit that I did not understand the instructions?

Call instead of guessing. Contact the treating practice at the number you were given, or call Gateway at 314-325-0126 and we will ask the treating clinician to clarify. Say which step is unclear and what you have done so far. For an emergency, call 911.

Related pages

General information to help you talk with your own clinician. It is not medical advice, and the treating clinician makes every clinical decision. For a medical emergency, call 911.

Updated October 2026