Organizing wound supplies at home: storing, counting and reordering.

Why a simple system helps

Wound supplies arrive in boxes of different sizes, on different days, sometimes from more than one source. Without a system, it is easy to find out mid-change that the last piece of one item is gone. Organizing wound supplies at home takes about an hour to set up and a few minutes a week to keep going.

Pick one clean, dry storage spot

A lidded plastic bin, a drawer or a closet shelf works well.

• Choose a spot that is clean, dry, at room temperature and out of direct sun.
• Keep supplies off the floor and away from sinks, stoves, heating vents and bathroom steam.
• Do not leave supplies in a car, garage or porch. Summer heat and winter cold in the St. Louis area can affect adhesives, gels and liquids.
• Keep the bin closed, and out of reach of children and pets.
• Leave items in their original packaging so names, sizes and dates stay readable.

When a delivery arrives, bring it inside promptly and check it against the packing slip.

Sort supplies by how you use them

Group items in the order they are used: cleansing items, the dressing that touches the wound, the cover dressing, then tape or wrap, gloves and trash bags.

Many people also keep a small “next change” kit at the front with exactly what one change needs, and refill it right after each change. Our guide to changing a wound dressing at home covers setting up the change itself.

Tape your written dressing instructions inside the lid. If you care for two wounds with different plans, use a separate labeled container for each.

Check packages before they are needed

• Put new stock behind old stock so the oldest is used first.
• Look at expiration dates when you count.
• Set aside any sterile package that is torn, open, wet or stained. Ask the care team before using it.
• Write the date on bottles when you open them, and ask how long an opened bottle can be used.
• When an order changes, take the old product out of the bin so it is not used by mistake.

Keep a weekly count

Count on the same day each week. A sheet of paper kept in the bin is enough. For each item, write:

1. The name and size exactly as printed on the package
2. How many are used at each change
3. How many changes you do each week
4. How many you have on hand today
5. How many changes that will cover

For the last line, divide the number on hand by the number used per change. The item that will run out first sets your deadline, even if the bin still looks full. If counting becomes a strain, ask a family member to take it over. Support for family caregivers can be part of primary care.

Reorder before you run low

Find out who places your orders. It may be the treating clinician’s office, a home health agency or a medical supplier, and it can differ by item. Write that name and phone number on your count sheet.

• Ask how much notice a refill needs, and reorder when your count reaches that point.
• Suppliers often ask what you still have before sending a refill. Your count sheet answers the question.
• Ask whether your plan limits how many of an item can be sent in a period. Coverage depends on the plan and the clinician’s order.
• When the clinician changes your dressing, ask whether the supplier has the new order and when new items will arrive.

Our guide on questions about wound supply orders lists more to ask, and the guide to insurance and cost questions covers plan questions.

When a delivery is late, wrong or short

Call the supplier and tell the treating team the same day. Say which item is affected and how many changes you can still do.

Do not fill the gap with household items, stretch supplies by skipping changes, or reuse a dressing. Ask the clinician what to do until the correct item arrives. That decision belongs to them, because a substitute that looks similar may work differently on the wound.

How Gateway helps with supplies

When Gateway arranges wound visits in Greater St. Louis and the Metro East, wound supply and equipment coordination around the treating clinician’s orders is part of the work. That matters most for people with non-healing wounds, who may need supplies for months. To ask about care, request care or call 314-325-0126.

Common questions

Related pages

• Wound supplies and DME coordination
• Wound supply order questions
• Dressing changes at home
• Wound dressings explained
• Insurance and cost questions
• Traveling with a wound
• Returning to work with a wound
• Pets and wound care at home