🩺 What Is Diabetes Wound Care?
Diabetic wound care involves specialized cleaning, dressing, and monitoring of wounds—especially on the feet or legs—in patients with type 1 or type 2 diabetes, who typically have:
- Poor circulation
- Reduced sensation (neuropathy)
- High infection risk
- Slow wound healing
Home care is critical to prevent complications like:
- Ulcers turning into gangrene
- Amputations
- Repeated hospital admissions
⚕️ Types of Diabetic Wounds Treated at Home
- Foot ulcers (plantar, toe, heel)
- Surgical site infections post-diabetic surgery
- Bedsores in diabetic bedridden patients
- Wounds with discharge/infection
- Amputation site recovery
🛠️ Key Services in At-Home Diabetes Wound Care
Care Element | Description |
---|---|
Wound Cleaning | Using saline, antiseptic solution, sterile tools |
Dressing Changes | Applying diabetic-friendly gauze, hydrogel, alginate pads |
Infection Monitoring | Watch for pus, redness, foul smell, fever |
Antibiotic Support | Nurse-administered oral/IV antibiotics (as prescribed) |
Debridement Support | Removing dead tissue (basic done at home; severe at clinic) |
Blood Sugar Monitoring | Track sugar to aid wound healing |
Footwear & Pressure Relief | Recommending soft sole or offloading shoes |
👨⚕️ Who Provides This Care?
- Trained home care nurses (ANM, GNM, BSc)
- Wound care specialists (for advanced cases)
- Family members trained by nurse for daily dressing
- Some agencies offer podiatrist home visits in larger cities
📍 Top Wound Care Providers in Tamil Nadu
✅ Inhouse Medicare – Coimbatore
- Diabetic wound management + nurse visits
- 📞 70944 03384 | inhousemedicare.com
✅ Anbu Sri Sai Home Nursing – Salem, Coimbatore
- Diabetic foot dressing, injections, home nurse setup
- 📞 78715 31777 / 91597 66477
✅ Sakthi Home Nursing – Trichy, Madurai, Tirunelveli
- Caters to rural and semi-urban home wound care needs
- 📞 99527 95188
✅ Nightingales Home Health – Chennai
- Chronic wound care, pressure ulcers, diabetic foot care
- 📞 1800 103 4530
💰 Cost Estimate (2025)
Service | Approximate Cost |
---|---|
Single nurse wound visit | ₹500 – ₹1,000/visit |
Dressing + injection combo | ₹700 – ₹1,200/visit |
Daily wound dressing (monthly) | ₹12,000 – ₹18,000/month |
Advanced debridement (clinic) | ₹1,500 – ₹3,000/session |
Foot ulcer shoe (offloading) | ₹1,500 – ₹4,000 (one-time) |
Many agencies train family members after 3–5 nurse visits to reduce cost.
🛏️ Equipment & Supplies Needed at Home
- Sterile dressing kits
- Saline, antiseptic (e.g., betadine, chlorhexidine)
- Antibiotic ointments (as prescribed)
- Sterile gloves and gauze
- Sugar monitor & strips
- Medical tape, scissors
- Diabetic footwear or heel protectors
✅ Tips for Faster Healing at Home
- Keep sugar consistently below 140 mg/dL
- Use air mattress for bedridden patients
- Reposition patient every 2–3 hours
- Avoid barefoot walking (even at home)
- Ensure proper hydration and protein intake
🚑 When to Shift Back to Hospital
- Wound shows green/yellow discharge
- Fever, chills, foul smell, or spreading redness
- Wound turns black (necrosis)
- No healing after 2–3 weeks of home care