A clinic visit, in your own room

If you are wondering what happens at a home wound care visit, picture a clinic exam in your living room or bedroom. The treating clinician asks questions, examines the wound, treats it and explains the plan.

Every visit is a little different, because the clinician decides what each one needs. Gateway arranges these visits with partner clinicians across Greater St. Louis and the Metro East.

Arrival and setup

The clinician introduces themselves and confirms who you are. They ask where you are most comfortable and where the light is good, then clean their hands and set out supplies.

You decide who stays in the room. A family member or aide who helps with dressing changes should be there if possible. Our guide to privacy and comfort during wound care has more ideas.

Questions about your health and the wound

Expect a conversation before anyone touches the dressing. At a first visit, the clinician may ask about:

  • How and when the wound started, and how it has changed
  • What has been used on it so far, and who has been changing the dressing
  • Pain: where, when and how strong
  • Your medications and allergies
  • Conditions that affect healing, such as diabetes, circulation problems, swelling or kidney disease
  • Eating, drinking and how much you are able to move around
  • Recent hospital stays, surgery or infections

At follow-up visits, the clinician mostly asks what has changed since last time.

Looking at the wound

The old dressing comes off and the wound is cleaned so it can be seen clearly. The clinician looks at the size and depth, the kind of tissue in the wound, the amount and type of drainage, the edges and the skin around it.

Most clinicians measure the wound at each visit so they can compare it over time. Some take a photo for the medical record, with your permission. These steps are part of a wound assessment and measurement, and our guide to understanding wound measurements explains the numbers.

If anything hurts, say so right away. The clinician can pause, slow down or change the approach. See talking about wound pain and discomfort.

Checks beyond the wound

A wound is affected by the rest of the body, so the exam often goes further. For a leg or foot wound, the clinician may check swelling, pulses, skin temperature and feeling in the feet, and may look at your shoes. For a pressure injury, they may look at the bed, the chair cushion and other skin under pressure.

They also look for signs of infection, and may order lab work, imaging or a circulation test.

Treatment that may happen at the visit

What gets done depends on the wound and on what is safe to do at home. During a visit the clinician may:

  • Apply a new dressing chosen for the wound (see dressing selection and changes)
  • Remove unhealthy tissue, called debridement, after explaining it and asking your consent (see what debridement is)
  • Apply or adjust compression for a leg wound when it is appropriate for you
  • Teach you or a caregiver the dressing routine for the days between visits

Not everything happens on day one. Some treatments wait for test results or supplies, and some can only be done in a clinic or hospital. You can ask why something is recommended, and you can say no.

Before the clinician leaves

Get clear answers to these questions before the visit ends. Write them down, or ask for written instructions.

  1. What kind of wound is this, and what is slowing it down?
  2. Which dressing is being used, and how often should it be changed?
  3. Who changes it between visits: me, a family member, a home health nurse or facility staff?
  4. Which supplies do I need, and how will they get here?
  5. What changes should I report, and to whom?
  6. When is the next visit?

A wound care visit notebook keeps these answers in one place for everyone who helps.

After the visit and what to report

After the visit, Gateway works on what was ordered: supplies, updated instructions for home health or facility nurses, updates to your other clinicians and the next visit.

Between visits, report changes instead of waiting. Call about spreading redness, new swelling or warmth, more drainage, a new odor, increasing pain or fever. These can be signs of wound infection. Call 911 for bleeding that will not stop, trouble breathing, chest pain, sudden confusion or fainting.

To ask about a first visit, request a call from Gateway or phone 314-325-0126.

Common questions

How long does a home wound care visit last?

It varies with the wound and the visit. A first visit usually takes longer, because the clinician reviews your history and examines everything for the first time. Later visits are often shorter. Ask what to expect when the visit is scheduled.

What if I am not feeling well enough for the visit when the day comes?

Call Gateway at 314-325-0126 as soon as you know, so the visit can be rescheduled or the clinician can be told what is going on. If you feel unwell because of the wound, with fever, spreading redness or pain that is getting worse, say so on the call. For an emergency, call 911.

Will the wound care visit hurt?

Removing a dressing and cleaning a wound can be uncomfortable, and some wounds are more tender than others. Tell the clinician about your pain before they start and speak up during the visit. Ask ahead of time what can make dressing changes easier. Decisions about pain medicine belong to your clinician.

Can tests or prescriptions be ordered during a visit at home?

Yes. The treating clinician decides whether a prescription, a lab test, imaging or a referral is needed and writes the order. Where a test happens depends on the test and on what is available at your address. Gateway helps with the arrangements.

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