Venous leg ulcer care in Hazelwood.

What to know about venous leg ulcers

Several common beliefs about venous leg ulcers get in the way of healing. One is that the sore needs air so it can dry out and scab. In general, clinicians aim for a moist, protected wound, not a dry one. Another is that the dressing does the healing. The dressing manages drainage, while compression addresses the swelling that holds the ulcer open.

A third is that resting means sitting with the feet on the floor, which lets fluid collect. People also assume a red, weeping leg must be infected, when skin inflamed by vein disease can look much the same. Each of these is worth raising with the treating clinician.

What an assessment covers

The history shapes a venous ulcer plan as much as the exam does. The treating clinician asks how long the ulcer has been open, whether this leg has ulcerated before, and whether you have had a blood clot, a vein procedure, leg surgery or an injury. Allergies are reviewed, along with any skin reaction to past dressings, tapes or wraps, so the same products are not ordered again.

The clinician also asks what you have already tried and what happened. An ulcer that does not look or behave like a typical venous wound, or one that fails to respond, may lead to more tests or a referral to a vascular or skin specialist.

Venous leg ulcer care in Hazelwood

Many people with venous leg ulcers in Hazelwood have lived in the same house for decades, and some later move to a senior living community or skilled nursing facility a short drive away. The ulcer plan should move with them. Gateway keeps track of the measurements, compression orders and supply details, so when someone goes from home to a rehabilitation stay and back, the receiving nurses know what was on the leg and why. Because partner clinicians see patients in both homes and facilities, the plan can often continue without starting the assessment over.

Residential Hazelwood is a mix of ranch homes, split-levels, townhouses and a good number of apartment complexes near Lindbergh Boulevard and the interstate. Senior apartments, assisted living and skilled nursing facilities are located in the city and in the towns next to it. Gateway arranges partner clinician visits in all of them. Apartment visits need a building and unit number and sometimes a gate code. Facility visits are coordinated with the nurse in charge. In every setting the treating clinician decides the care, and Gateway handles the logistics.

At home between visits

When a home health agency is already visiting, its nurses commonly change dressings and reapply compression between the treating clinician’s visits. Gateway shares current orders with the agency so both work from the same plan, and we pass the nurses’ observations back. Supplies need the same attention. A draining venous ulcer can go through a large amount of absorbent dressings, padding and wrap layers in a week. We coordinate orders for the supplies the clinician specifies and check in before they run low. What a health plan pays for depends on the plan, the treating provider and the care needed.

For residents of nursing and senior living communities

A short rehabilitation stay after surgery or a hospital admission can be a turning point for a venous leg ulcer. Legs often swell more after days in bed and long hours in a wheelchair with the feet down. Therapy sessions, on the other hand, rebuild the walking and ankle movement that help veins work. Partner clinicians see patients on site and coordinate with nursing and therapy on details such as wrap changes around therapy times and footwear that fits over compression. Before discharge, Gateway helps line up continued visits and supplies at home so the plan does not lapse during the move.

Signs to tell the clinician about

Some changes point beyond the ulcer to the rest of the body. Tell the treating clinician promptly about:

• New swelling, pain or tenderness in one calf or thigh
• Swelling that rises quickly in both legs
• Rapid weight gain over a few days
• Needing more pillows to breathe comfortably at night
• A fall or a new injury to the leg

Call 911 right away for sudden shortness of breath, chest pain, coughing up blood, or a racing heartbeat with lightheadedness. These can be signs of a blood clot in the lungs or a heart problem, and they should not wait for a scheduled visit.

Primary care and overall health

The calf muscle acts as a pump for the leg veins, and it only works when the ankle moves. Arthritis, nerve damage, an old injury, pain from the ulcer itself or fear of falling can shrink a person’s walking to a few steps a day. A primary care clinician can look at what is limiting movement, manage pain, review fall risk and order physical therapy or equipment when appropriate. Sleep is part of this too. People who sleep upright in a recliner because of breathing trouble or back pain keep their legs down all night, and the reason behind that habit needs a medical answer.

Primary care at home in Hazelwood →

Arranging venous leg ulcer care in Hazelwood

Setting up venous leg ulcer care for someone in Hazelwood usually goes in this order:

1. You call 314-325-0126 or send the request care form, which asks only for a name and phone number.
2. Gateway talks with you about the wound, the address and the insurance.
3. We confirm availability for that location and gather records for the treating clinician.
4. The clinician visits, assesses the wound and writes the orders.
5. We follow up on supplies, the next visit and communication with your other clinicians.

You do not need a confirmed diagnosis to start.

SSM Health DePaul Hospital in Bridgeton is the closest hospital for most of Hazelwood, and Christian Hospital in North County is a short drive east on Interstate 270. Gateway is not affiliated with either one. Patients sent home with a surgical wound, a pressure injury or a leg ulcer need someone to follow it. Discharge planners can fax a referral with orders and demographics. Family members can call with the hospital name and discharge date. Gateway requests the records, confirms the Hazelwood address, and arranges the follow-up visit with a treating clinician.

• County: St. Louis County, Missouri
• ZIP codes: 63042
• Nearby hospitals: SSM Health DePaul Hospital in Bridgeton; Christian Hospital in North County (not affiliated with Gateway)
• Nearby communities: Florissant, Bridgeton, Ferguson, Maryland Heights, North County
• Care settings: Private homes, skilled nursing, assisted living, memory care and rehabilitation

Other conditions and nearby communities

Read the full guide to venous leg ulcers, or see everything Gateway arranges on the mobile wound care in Hazelwood page.

• Diabetic foot 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
• Venous leg ulcer care in Florissant
• Venous leg ulcer care in Ferguson
• Venous leg ulcer care in Maryland Heights
• Venous leg ulcer care in North County

Common questions