Diabetic foot ulcer care in Godfrey, Illinois.

About diabetic foot ulcers

Foot ulcers are more likely in people who have had diabetes for many years, especially once feeling in the feet has faded. Anyone who has had an ulcer or an amputation before is at higher risk, because healed skin stays fragile and the pressure pattern behind the first wound is often still there. Other things that raise risk include poor circulation in the legs, kidney disease, changes in foot shape such as hammertoes, bunions or a collapsed arch, vision loss that makes foot checks hard, and trouble bending to reach the feet. People who live alone, or who cannot easily get properly fitted shoes, are more exposed too. None of this makes an ulcer certain. It tells clinicians whose feet to watch closely.

What the treating clinician looks at

The wound is only part of the exam. The treating clinician also checks the foot and leg for whatever caused the ulcer and could keep it open:

• Sensation, often tested with a thin filament touched to several spots
• Pulses at the ankle and the top of the foot, skin temperature and color
• Foot shape, callus, nail problems and the skin between the toes
• The other foot, which shares the same risks
• Shoes, insoles and socks, including wear patterns inside the shoe

If pulses are weak, the clinician may order a circulation study or a vascular referral before deciding how to approach the wound itself.

Arranging this care in Godfrey

People in Godfrey with a diabetic foot ulcer often split their care between two states: a primary care office and hospital in Illinois, and a vascular surgeon or foot specialist in St. Louis. Records do not always follow across the river. Gateway requests them from both sides so the treating clinician can see the circulation studies, cultures and imaging already done. If a specialist visit in Missouri is ordered, we first check whether your plan and that provider work together, then help with transportation across the bridge so the foot is not walked on more than necessary.

Godfrey lies just north of Alton on the bluffs above the Mississippi, where the Great River Road heads upriver toward Grafton. It covers a wide area for a village. Subdivisions cluster near Godfrey Road, while other homes sit on large lots or beside farm fields farther out. The space is part of the appeal, but it means a medical appointment involves a drive into Alton or across the Clark Bridge toward St. Louis, which is hard on someone with a painful wound or limited strength. Arranging care at home or in a facility takes that drive away.

At home between visits

Family caregivers do much of the day-to-day work when a diabetic foot ulcer is cared for at home. A spouse or adult child may be the only person who can see the sole of the foot, hold a mirror or notice a damp sock. The treating clinician decides which dressing tasks a caregiver can take on and explains what is expected. Caregivers also help by keeping the offloading device within reach, clearing clutter from walking paths, and writing down blood sugar readings and questions for the next visit. If the tasks become more than your household can manage, tell us and we will raise it with the clinician.

In a facility

In a skilled nursing facility, a diabetic foot ulcer is managed by several people at once. A partner clinician visits on site to assess the wound and write or recommend orders, the facility nurses carry out dressing changes and daily skin checks, and the attending physician oversees the resident’s overall care. Gateway keeps those lines connected. We schedule rounds with the facility, send visit notes for the chart and confirm that new orders were received and signed as the building requires. Offloading orders, such as heel protection in bed or a boot for transfers, go to the nursing and therapy staff who apply them every shift.

Changes to report

Whoever changes the dressing is well placed to spot trouble. Let the treating clinician know if you see any of the following:

• Drainage soaking through sooner than it used to
• The wound measuring larger, or new openings nearby
• Skin around the wound turning white, soggy or raw
• A new blister or rubbed area where the boot, cast or shoe touches
• Fresh blood on a dressing that used to come off clean

Bleeding that will not stop with firm pressure, sudden weakness, slurred speech or difficulty breathing are reasons to call 911, not to wait for a call back.

Why primary care matters here

Blood sugar and wound healing are closely tied. When glucose runs high over time, the cells that fight infection and rebuild tissue work less well, and an infected wound can in turn push readings higher. Wound visits do not manage diabetes medications. That belongs to the primary care clinician or endocrinologist, who may review recent readings, lab results and the current regimen while the ulcer is being cared for. Gateway helps the two sides share information, so the clinician managing diabetes knows there is an open wound and the wound clinician knows how glucose has been running.

Primary care at home in Godfrey →

Arranging diabetic foot ulcer care in Godfrey

Clinicians and facility staff referring a patient for diabetic foot ulcer care in Godfrey can call 314-325-0126 or fax 314-786-7966. Helpful to include: demographics and insurance, the working diagnosis, recent wound notes and measurements, current orders, the medication list and relevant test results. Please also tell us who should receive the treating clinician’s notes afterward. The online referral form takes contact details only, so clinical records should come by fax, not through the form. Gateway confirms that the referral arrived, checks availability for the patient’s address and lets your office know what has been scheduled.

Both hospitals that serve Godfrey are a short drive south: Alton Memorial Hospital and OSF Saint Anthony’s Health Center in Alton. Neither is affiliated with Gateway. When a patient is headed home to Godfrey, or to a nearby facility, follow-up can be requested by the family or referred by the hospital’s discharge planner. Gateway gathers the discharge summary, wound orders and medication list, and arranges a visit with a partner clinician. We also let the patient’s regular doctor know that follow-up is being arranged, so everyone is working from the same information.

• County: Madison County, Illinois
• ZIP codes: 62035
• Nearby hospitals: Alton Memorial Hospital; OSF Saint Anthony's Health Center in Alton (not affiliated with Gateway)
• Nearby communities: Alton, Alton and the Riverbend, Madison County, Illinois
• Care settings: Private homes, skilled nursing, assisted living, memory care and rehabilitation

Other conditions and nearby communities

Read the full guide to diabetic foot ulcers, or see everything Gateway arranges on the mobile wound care in Godfrey page.

• Venous leg ulcers
• Pressure injuries and bed sores
• Arterial and mixed wounds
• Non-healing wounds
• Post-surgical wounds
• Reopened (dehisced) surgical wounds
• Surgical site infections
• Skin tears and traumatic wounds
• Wounds with lymphedema
• Skin graft aftercare
• Wound VAC (NPWT) follow-up
• Diabetic foot ulcer care in Alton
• Diabetic foot ulcer care in the Riverbend
• Diabetic foot ulcer care in Madison County

Common questions