Wound and dressing care
Surgical wounds, pressure sores, venous ulcers, burns, diabetic foot wounds.
The essentials
- Home dressing care is prescribed care: the protocol and the frequency come from the doctor or the surgeon, never from the practice.
- Supplies are dispensed by the pharmacy on the same prescription; we tell you exactly what to collect.
- Every visit produces a written observation of the wound, sent to the prescriber.
- Between visits, spreading redness, a new smell or a fever are reasons to call us.
Who it is for
People recovering after surgery, healing slowly, or living with a chronic wound.
How we work
- We follow the protocol prescribed by the doctor and adapt materials as the wound evolves.
- With your consent, photographic follow-up can document healing for the prescriber.
- We alert your GP as soon as a local or general sign falls outside what was expected.
- Frequency, timing and duration follow the prescription: we agree them with you at the first visit.
How a visit unfolds
What happens, in order, when we come to your home.
Reading the prescription
We re-read the prescribed protocol and the notes from the previous visit before opening anything.
Hygiene and setting up
Hand hygiene, gloves, clean field, materials laid out in order of use: the wound is uncovered only once everything is ready.
Removal, cleaning, observation
The dressing is removed, the wound cleaned as prescribed, then observed: size, edges, exudate, reported pain.
New dressing
The dressing is renewed with the prescribed materials, adapted to what the observation has just shown.
Record and handover
The observation is written in the care record; the doctor is informed if a sign falls outside what was expected.
Next visit
The next appointment is confirmed with you, along with what to collect from the pharmacy before then.
The cycle of a monitored dressing at home
What we repeat at every visit — the organisation of care, not the choice of protocol, which belongs to the prescriber.
Observation
State of the wound and its edges, pain reported, comparison with the previous visit.
Preparation
Hand hygiene, clean field, equipment laid out in order of use.
Redressing
The dressing is renewed according to the prescription in force that day.
Recording
What was done and observed is written, dated and signed at the home.
Reporting
Any change from the previous visit goes to the doctor without waiting for the next one.
The next visit starts again at observation, with the previous note at hand.
What helps prepare the visit
Nothing is compulsory: it simply saves time during the visit.
- The prescription and the pharmacy-dispensed materials, kept together.
- Access to water and a clean surface for the materials.
- Enough light on the area to be treated.
- The name of the doctor following the wound and, if set, the date of the next consultation.
What helps at home
Between visits, these simple habits prevent most urgent calls.
- Keep the prescription and the supplies together, dry and away from sunlight.
- Do not remove the dressing to look: every unplanned opening exposes the wound.
- If the dressing lifts or gets wet, protect it without redoing it, and call us.
- Write down what you notice between visits: pain, discharge, sleep. Those notes help the doctor.
When to call us between visits
In a life-threatening emergency, call 15 (or 112) before calling the practice.
- Redness spreading around the wound, new warmth or swelling.
- Unusual discharge, odour, or a dressing coming off early.
- Pain clearly increasing between visits.
- Fever, chills or unusual tiredness.
How this care is framed
- Dressings are prescribed care: the protocol and frequency come from the doctor or surgeon.
- Materials are dispensed by the pharmacy on the same prescription; we tell you exactly what to collect.
- Every visit is recorded in the care record, readable by the professionals who come to your home.
The words used here
- Prescription
- A doctor's written order stating the procedure, frequency and duration. Without it, nursing care cannot be delivered or reimbursed, apart from procedures allowed in direct access.
- Pressure sore
- Damage to skin and tissue caused by prolonged pressure on a support area (sacrum, heels, hips), common with immobility.
- Care protocol
- A written, dated description of how a specific patient's care must be delivered: products, supplies, frequency, alert criteria.
- Handover notes
- The written record of a visit: what was done, what was observed, what must be watched. The shared memory of the care episode.
Common questions about this care
Do I need a prescription for wound care at home?
How often do you come?
Who supplies the dressing materials?
Can I shower with a dressing on?
How long does a dressing visit take?
Can the dressing always be changed at the same time?
Official sources
What we state about the framework of care comes from these public texts, consulted on the date shown.
- Pressure ulcer prevention
- Hygiene and infection risk prevention in medical and paramedical practices
- Reimbursements
Related care
These forms of care often go together.
Where we provide this care
Towns in our sector where this care is most frequent.
This care is provided on medical prescription. To find out whether we can visit you, call 04 04 38 04 38.