Hospital Discharge With a Wound Checklist

Start before discharge day

A hospital discharge with a wound checklist works best when you start it a day or two before your loved one leaves, not in the last hour. On discharge day, papers are signed, a ride is waiting, and the nurse who knows the wound may be off shift.

Ask the nurse or case manager when discharge is expected and when you can go over the wound plan together, in person or by phone. Your loved one decides who is included, so make sure staff know you have their permission. Write down names as well as answers.

Understand the wound before you leave

If your loved one agrees, ask to be present for a dressing change so you know what the wound looks like today. Then ask:

What kind of wound is this, and where exactly is it?
Is it getting better, worse or staying the same?
What dressing is on it, and how often should it be changed?
Who will change it at home: a nurse, the patient or me?
What is normal to see, and what is not?
Are there limits on bathing, walking or sleeping positions?

If you will be changing the dressing, ask the nurse to teach you and then watch you do it once. Ask for the steps in writing. If the task is more than you can manage, say so now.

For a surgical incision, our page on post-surgical wounds explains what a treating clinician watches as it heals.

Confirm who follows the wound after discharge

This question most often goes unanswered. “Follow up with your doctor” is not specific enough. Ask for a name and a phone number for each of these:

The clinician who will check the wound and adjust the plan
The home health agency, if ordered, and when its first visit is expected
The surgeon or specialist, with the date of the follow-up appointment
The primary care clinician, and whether a visit is needed soon
Whom to call if a problem comes up before those visits

If no one has been named for the wound, tell the case manager before you leave. Gateway arranges wound care follow-up after hospital discharge with partner clinicians across Greater St. Louis and the Metro East. Visit availability is confirmed by location and care setting.

Check what goes home with you

Before the wheelchair arrives, check for:

Written wound instructions that match what the nurse told you
Dressing supplies for the first few days, and who will send more
Orders for home health, equipment or a wound VAC, if planned, and who is sending them
A current medication list, with new, changed and stopped medicines marked
Appointment dates, times and addresses

Ask about equipment too. A pressure-relieving mattress, a walker or a hospital bed can take time to arrive, so find out whether it will be in place on the first night. Ask the nurse how to protect the wound and manage pain on the ride home.

If your loved one is going to a skilled nursing or rehabilitation facility instead of home, ask how the wound orders will be sent, and ask the facility nurse on arrival whether they were received.

Know what to report and when to call 911

Ask the hospital team which changes they want to hear about. Call the clinician who is following the wound if you see:

Redness, warmth or swelling that is spreading
More drainage, pus or a new smell
Pain that is new or getting worse
Fever or chills
An incision that is opening, or a dressing that will not stay in place
New confusion, or eating and drinking much less

Call 911 for heavy bleeding that will not stop, trouble breathing, chest pain or a sudden change in alertness. Gateway is not an emergency service.

How Gateway can help after discharge

Gateway coordinates the scheduling, records, orders, supplies and communication around each visit. The treating clinician makes every clinical decision. We can also help arrange primary care follow-up after discharge, so medications and other conditions are reviewed along with the wound.

Our page on continuity of care explains how the handoff works, and our guide to the first two weeks after the hospital covers what comes next.

To start, call 314-325-0126 or request a callback. The form asks for a name and phone number only. Our page for families and caregivers lists what to have nearby when we talk.

Common questions

What if the hospital says discharge is today and I do not feel ready?

Tell the nurse or case manager exactly what is missing: no one has shown you the dressing change, the supplies have not arrived, or no follow-up is scheduled. The hospital team decides when discharge is medically appropriate, but they need to know what is not in place at home.

Should I take a photo of the wound before we leave?

Ask your loved one and the nurse first. If both agree, a photo from the last dressing change can remind you what the wound looked like on discharge day. Keep it private, and do not email or text it unless a clinician’s office tells you how to send photos.

The discharge papers and the nurse’s instructions do not match. Which do I follow?

Do not guess. Before you leave, show the nurse the difference and ask for the written instructions to be corrected. If you notice the mismatch at home, call the number on the discharge papers or the clinician following the wound and ask them to confirm the plan.

Can Gateway be set up before my family member leaves the hospital?

You can call us while your loved one is still in the hospital, and so can the case manager. We will ask where the person is going, then confirm whether a partner clinician is available for that location and setting. We cannot promise timing, so call as early as you can.

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

Hospital discharge with a wound checklist for families.