Mobile wound care and wound care at home in Richmond Heights.

Mobile wound care close to home in Richmond Heights

Two interstates meet in Richmond Heights. Interstate 64 runs east and west, Interstate 170 comes down from the north to join it, and Clayton Road, Big Bend Boulevard and Hanley Road carry the local traffic. Clayton is next door and the St. Louis city limit forms the eastern edge. Few places in the region are closer to medical care. Still, a person with a healing wound or several chronic conditions may not be able to leave home easily, and for that person a short distance is still too far.

Richmond Heights mixes tree-lined blocks of brick houses with older apartment buildings, condominiums and newer complexes near the interstates. Senior living, assisted living, memory care and skilled nursing communities are spread through Mid County. Gateway arranges partner clinician visits in all of them. Buildings with a front desk, a parking garage or secured elevators need a little planning, so we ask about entry instructions up front. In care communities we set visits through the nursing staff and share the clinician’s notes and orders with them.

The main guide to mobile wound care in St. Louis explains who it helps and how visits are arranged.

To compare options before you call, read our guide to St. Louis wound care, which covers clinics, home visits and facility care for Richmond Heights and nearby communities.

Home visits in Richmond Heights

A home visit in Richmond Heights starts with one phone call. You tell us where the person lives, what kind of wound it is and who is already involved, such as a surgeon, a primary care office or a home health agency. Gateway then confirms whether a partner clinician is available for that address, asks for recent records and sets a visit time with you. Before the visit we explain what to have ready, including the current dressings and a medication list. Afterward, the clinician’s orders go to whoever is carrying them out, and the next visit goes on the calendar.

Wound care in facilities in Richmond Heights

Assisted living is not a nursing home, and that matters for wounds. Assisted living communities in Richmond Heights differ in how much nursing they have on site and in what their staff are permitted to do, so the first question is who will change the dressing between clinician visits. Sometimes it is the community’s nurse. Often it is a home health nurse who comes in, and sometimes a family member. For wound care in assisted living, Gateway arranges for a partner clinician to see the resident in their own apartment. We then make sure the orders reach whoever does the daily care and that staff know what to watch for and whom to call.

Wounds you can call about

Some wounds on this list are new, such as a surgical incision or a skin tear. Others have been open for months. In either case, Gateway can arrange for a partner clinician to assess the wound at home or in a facility in Richmond Heights and to set the plan from there.

• Diabetic foot ulcers
• 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

See every wound condition and all wound care services.

After a hospital or rehab stay

Because SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital is in Richmond Heights and Barnes-Jewish Hospital is a short drive east, many residents have their surgery, emergency visits and hospital stays close to home. Neither hospital is affiliated with Gateway. The handoff after discharge is where we help. Families can call to ask about wound care or primary care follow-up at home, ideally before the discharge date. Hospital discharge planners and clinic staff can refer by phone at 314-325-0126 or fax at 314-786-7966, and we coordinate from there.

Facilities near Richmond Heights

People in Richmond Heights often know these places by name. The list is drawn from public directories so you can get your bearings.

• Hospitals nearby: SSM Health St. Mary's Hospital in Richmond Heights; Barnes-Jewish Hospital
• Skilled nursing and rehabilitation nearby: Barnes-Jewish Extended Care (St. Louis 63105); McKnight Place Extended Care (St. Louis 63124); Bernard Care Center (St. Louis 63108); Beauvais Rehab and Healthcare Center (St. Louis 63110)
• Assisted living and memory care nearby: Trustwell Living at Richmond Heights (Richmond Heights 63117); Clarendale Clayton (Clayton 63117); St. Elizabeth Hall (St. Louis 63108)

Gateway is not affiliated with any facility listed here, and a listing does not mean a partnership or referral relationship. If the patient lives in one of them, tell us its name when you call so we can contact the right nurse or front desk.

Sources: Medicare Care Compare nursing home data (CMS) and the Missouri DHSS long-term care directory.

Looking after the whole patient

People with long-standing wounds often take many medications ordered by several different offices. Some medicines can affect healing, swelling or the risk of falls, and it may be that no one is looking at the full list. When Gateway arranges primary care follow-up in Richmond Heights, a medication review by the treating clinician is a typical part of it. Do not stop or change anything on your own. Keep an up-to-date list, including over-the-counter products, and have it out at every visit.

Primary care at home in Richmond Heights →

Getting care in Richmond Heights

A call about care in Richmond Heights goes faster with a few things in hand: the address and unit number, ZIP code 63117, building entry instructions, a phone number and the names of the doctors involved. Being central helps, since Richmond Heights is easy to reach from most of the county, but availability is confirmed for each location and setting. Gateway arranges care in Clayton and Central County, Brentwood, Maplewood, Ladue and the Central West End as well.

Visits are confirmed by location and care setting, so call 314-325-0126 with your ZIP code to ask about your address.

Calling on behalf of a parent or spouse in Richmond Heights is fine, and you do not need every answer. Dial 314-325-0126 and tell us who the patient is, where they live and what worries you about the wound. We will ask whether the patient knows you are calling and who should receive updates. From there, Gateway checks availability for that address, asks permission to request records and works out a visit time that suits the patient and, if you want to be present, you. If you live far from your relative, we can keep you informed by phone.

• County: St. Louis County, Missouri
• ZIP codes: 63117
• Care settings: Private homes, skilled nursing, assisted living, memory care and rehabilitation

Nearby: Clayton and Central County, Brentwood, Maplewood, Ladue, Central West End

Paying for care

Employer and individual health plans vary widely, so the most reliable source is the member services number on the back of your card. Useful things to ask the plan: whether visits at home are a benefit, whether a referral or prior authorization is required, and where your deductible stands this year. Share what you learn with Gateway. We pass plan details to the treating provider’s office, which checks its own participation. Coverage under a commercial plan is never something we can promise.

Common questions