Questions to Ask a Nursing Home About Wound Care

Why the first days matter

Knowing the questions to ask a nursing home about wound care helps most in the first few days. That is when staff are learning who your loved one is, the first skin check is done and the care plan is written.

A move to skilled nursing often follows a hospital stay, when a person is weaker, moving less and eating less. Those are the conditions in which pressure injuries develop and existing wounds stall. Asking is not accusing.

What to tell the staff on day one

The facility receives hospital paperwork, but paperwork misses things. Tell the admitting nurse:

Every wound or sore spot you know about, including places that have broken down before
How the wound was being cared for, and by whom
How your loved one moves: walking, getting out of a chair, turning over in bed
What is normal for eating, drinking and using the toilet
Any skin reactions to tape or dressings
How they show pain if they do not speak up
Equipment used at home, such as a cushion, a special mattress or compression stockings

Bring copies of the discharge instructions and the medication list if you have them.

Questions about the admission skin check

Skilled nursing facilities typically look over a new resident’s skin from head to toe soon after arrival.

Has the admission skin check been done, and what did it find?
Were any wounds or red areas present on arrival, and where?
Was the risk for pressure injury assessed, and what was the result?
How often will the skin be checked from now on, and by whom?

If staff describe a wound by stage, our guide to pressure injury stages explains the terms.

Questions about an existing wound

If your loved one arrives with a wound, find out who is in charge of it.

Who directs the treatment: the attending physician, a wound nurse or a visiting wound clinician?
How often is the wound assessed and measured?
Who changes the dressing, and how is pain handled?
If a specialist was following the wound before, will those appointments continue? Who arranges the ride?
What kind of change would lead to a call to the physician or a trip to the hospital?

Many facilities work with outside clinicians who come to the building. Gateway arranges mobile wound care in facilities and regular facility wound rounds with partner clinicians in Greater St. Louis and the Metro East.

Questions about prevention

Even with no wound today, ask how skin will be protected.

What is the plan for changing position in bed and in the wheelchair?
What kind of mattress and chair cushion will be used?
How will the heels be protected?
Who helps at meals, and how is weight tracked?
How often is incontinence care provided?

Ask also who is managing diabetes, circulation and other conditions that affect healing. Our page on primary care follow-up in skilled nursing explains how that fits with wound care.

Questions about communication

Settle these before there is any news to share.

Who calls the family when a wound changes or a new skin problem appears?
Whom do I call with a question, and what time of day is best?
When is the first care plan meeting, and can I join by phone?

Staff share information with the people your loved one has approved, so confirm that your name and number are in the record. See who can receive wound care updates for how permission works, and our guide to preparing for a facility care plan meeting for what to bring.

If you have concerns after move-in

When you visit, tell the nurse, not only the aide, if you notice:

A new red, dark or open area on the skin
A dressing that is soiled, loose or missing
New pain, less eating or more confusion than usual

If something looks like an emergency, alert staff right away or call 911.

If a concern is not resolved, go to the director of nursing, then the administrator. Be specific about what you saw and when. Every state also has a long-term care ombudsman program, which helps residents and families raise concerns with facilities. This guide is general information, not legal advice.

If you think the wound needs another set of eyes, ask whether a wound consult can be requested. Families can also call Gateway at 314-325-0126 or send a request for care, as our page for families and caregivers explains.

Common questions

Will the nursing home tell me if my loved one gets a new wound?

Facilities generally notify a resident’s designated contact about a significant change such as a new wound, but ask how that works on the first day. Confirm that your name and number are in the record as the person to call and that your loved one has agreed to it.

Can my loved one keep their own wound specialist after moving in?

Sometimes. It depends on whether that clinician sees patients in the facility, the attending physician’s orders and the insurance plan. Ask the admitting nurse early, and give them the specialist’s name and number so records can be requested. If outside appointments continue, ask who schedules transportation.

What does “present on admission” mean for a wound?

It means the wound or skin damage was found during the first skin check, so it was already there on arrival. Staff record its location, size and appearance, and later changes are compared against that record. Ask where the wound is, how it was described and what the treatment plan is.

How often should a wound be measured in a skilled nursing facility?

Many facilities assess and measure wounds about once a week, and again whenever something changes, but routines differ. Ask what this facility does and whether you can hear the numbers. One measurement tells you little. The trend over several weeks, with the clinician’s description, shows whether the plan is working.

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

Questions to ask a nursing home about wound care on admission.