What to Expect During Your First In-Home Wound Care Visit

Not sure what happens when a wound care nurse comes to your home? Here's a clear, step-by-step look at what the first visit involves — from paperwork to dressing changes.

Content reviewed for accuracy by our clinical network • Last updated: July 2026

The Moment You've Been Waiting For

If you or a family member has been dealing with a wound that isn't healing — a diabetic foot ulcer, a pressure sore, a surgical incision that won't close — the first visit from a licensed home wound care nurse is often a turning point. For many patients and their families, it's also accompanied by a mix of relief and uncertainty. What exactly is going to happen? What should you have ready? Will it hurt?

This guide walks you through the first in-home wound care visit from start to finish, so you know what to expect and how to prepare. The visit is designed to be thorough but not overwhelming, and the clinician's goal on day one is not just to treat the wound — it's to understand it fully and set the foundation for a care plan that actually works.

Before the Nurse Arrives: What to Have Ready

You don't need to do much to prepare, but having a few things organized will help the visit go smoothly and ensure the clinician has everything they need to start your care correctly.

Have your physician's order for wound care within reach. This is the document your doctor, surgeon, or specialist signed authorizing home nursing visits. If you received discharge paperwork from a hospital, pull that out as well — it often contains valuable information about what was done to the wound before you came home, any medications prescribed, and specific instructions the surgeon or treating physician wants followed.

Your insurance card and any secondary insurance information should also be available. While our team verifies coverage before your first visit, the clinician may need to confirm certain details during intake. If you've been applying any dressings or wound care products at home, keep those out so the nurse can see what's been used.

Finally, think about where you'll be most comfortable during the visit. The nurse will need good lighting and physical access to the wound. If the wound is on your foot or lower leg, a chair or bed where you can rest comfortably with the area exposed works well. If it's on your back or tailbone, you'll likely be lying down. Making sure there's a clean surface nearby — a side table or tray — for the clinician's supplies will also help things move efficiently.

The Intake and History Review

The visit typically begins with a brief intake conversation. The clinician will introduce themselves, confirm your physician's orders, and review your relevant medical history. This isn't just a formality — it directly affects how they approach your wound care.

For a diabetic patient, for example, the nurse will want to know your most recent HbA1c levels, whether you're managing your blood sugar well, and what medications you're currently taking. For a patient with a pressure ulcer, they'll ask about how mobile you are, how often you're being repositioned, and what kind of surface you're sleeping or sitting on. For a surgical wound, they'll review your operative notes and the surgeon's specific post-op instructions.

This information shapes everything — the type of dressings used, the frequency of future visits, what they'll monitor, and what warning signs they'll ask you and your caregiver to watch for between visits. Be as honest and complete as possible during this review. There's no detail too small when it comes to wound healing.

The Wound Assessment

Once the history review is complete, the clinician will examine the wound itself. This assessment is more detailed than what most patients expect, and it serves as the baseline against which all future progress will be measured.

The nurse will measure the wound — its length, width, and depth — and record these numbers precisely. They'll assess the wound bed: Is there healthy granulation tissue forming? Is there slough (yellow, stringy tissue that indicates stalled healing)? Is there eschar (dark, hardened dead tissue that may need to be removed)? They'll look at the edges of the wound to see whether they're advancing (a good sign) or undermined and rolled under (which can stall healing). They'll assess the surrounding skin for redness, warmth, swelling, or maceration.

For wounds on the feet and lower legs, the nurse will often check pedal pulses — the pulse points on the top of the foot and behind the ankle — to get a sense of circulation. Poor circulation is one of the most common reasons wounds fail to heal, and identifying it early allows the clinician to communicate the concern to your physician and potentially refer you for a vascular assessment.

The assessment may also include a brief evaluation of your nutritional status, since adequate protein and certain vitamins are essential for tissue repair. The nurse may ask about your diet, your appetite, and whether you've experienced any unintended weight loss.

The First Dressing Change

Following the assessment, the clinician will perform the first dressing change. This is the hands-on, clinical portion of the visit, and it's where you'll see the nurse's training and experience on full display.

The old dressing — if there is one — will be carefully removed to avoid disturbing the wound bed. The wound will be cleaned with an appropriate cleanser, typically a saline solution or a wound-specific antiseptic. Depending on what the assessment revealed, the clinician may perform wound debridement — the gentle removal of dead or non-viable tissue that is impeding healing. Debridement can be done using wet-to-dry techniques, mechanical irrigation, or specialized enzymatic preparations, depending on the wound type and the physician's orders.

The new dressing will be selected based on what the wound needs at that moment. A heavily draining wound may require an absorbent foam dressing. A wound that is dry and needs moisture to heal may get a hydrogel. An infected or at-risk wound may receive a silver-containing antimicrobial dressing. The clinician will explain what they're applying and why, so you understand the logic behind the care plan.

If your physician ordered Negative Pressure Wound Therapy (Wound VAC), the first visit will include setup and initiation of the device, along with detailed education on how the machine works, what the settings mean, and what to do if an alarm sounds between visits.

Education and the Ongoing Care Plan

Before the visit ends, the clinician will take time to educate you and any caregivers present. This is one of the most valuable parts of the first visit, and it often covers more ground than patients anticipate.

You'll learn what signs of infection to watch for — increasing redness, warmth, odor, drainage that changes color, fever, or the wound opening further — and exactly when to call the clinician or your doctor. You'll receive guidance on how to care for the wound between visits: whether to keep the dressing dry, what to avoid, whether it's safe to shower, and how to reapply a simple cover dressing if the primary one gets wet or comes loose.

The nurse will also explain the frequency of follow-up visits, which is determined by your physician's orders and the complexity of the wound. Some wounds require visits every 48 to 72 hours; others may be seen weekly. You'll leave the first visit with a clear understanding of the schedule and what each subsequent visit will involve.

Finally, the clinician will communicate back to your physician with their findings from the first visit. This loop between the nurse in your home and the doctor managing your care is what makes in-home wound care effective. It ensures that if something changes — the wound worsens, a new concern is identified, or the current treatment isn't working — your care plan can be adjusted quickly without waiting for a clinic appointment.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Will the first visit be painful?
A: The clinician will work as gently as possible and communicate with you throughout. Some debridement or dressing removal can cause brief discomfort, but the nurse will always check in with you and adjust their approach. If you have significant pain concerns, let us know when you call so the clinician can come prepared.

Q: How long does the first visit take?
A: The initial visit is typically longer than follow-up visits — usually 45 minutes to an hour — because it includes the full intake, assessment, and care plan discussion. Follow-up visits for dressing changes are generally shorter.

Q: Can a family member or caregiver be present?
A: Yes, and we encourage it. Having a caregiver present during the first visit is valuable because they'll hear the wound care instructions directly and can ask their own questions about how to support healing between visits.

Q: What if my wound looks different by the time the nurse arrives?
A: Tell the clinician immediately. If the wound has worsened — more redness, increased drainage, or signs of infection — the nurse will adjust their assessment and, if necessary, contact your physician to update the care plan before applying a new dressing.

Q: Do I need to be home all day waiting?
A: No. Your assigned provider will coordinate a scheduled visit window with you in advance so you're not waiting around. If anything changes, they'll communicate directly with you to confirm timing.