Patient Education
Wound education you can print and keep
11 handouts written in plain language for patients and family caregivers. Every one explains what the wound is, why it happened, what we do about it, what you can do at home, and exactly when to call us. Free to download, print, and share.
Please read this first. These handouts are general education. They do not replace the plan your own provider gives you, and no handout can substitute for having your wound examined. If you are a current patient, follow the written instructions from your visit. Call 911 for an emergency.
Start here
Caring for Your Wound at Home
Why your dressing stays put between visits, how to keep it dry in the shower, and when to call us instead of changing it yourself.
Lower extremity
Diabetic Foot Ulcers
Why they form, why they often do not hurt, how offloading heals them, and the daily foot check that catches the next one early.
Venous Leg Ulcers
The most common leg wound in adults. Why compression is the treatment, how to elevate correctly, and how to keep it from returning.
Arterial Ulcers
Wounds caused by blocked arteries. Why these need a circulation workup first, and why the usual advice about elevation and compression does not apply.
Pressure & skin integrity
Pressure Injuries
Staging explained in plain language, the four forces that cause them, turning and positioning, and the mistakes that make them worse.
Skin Tears
Common in older adults and largely preventable. What to do in the first few minutes, how to protect the skin flap, and how to prevent the next one.
Moisture-Associated Skin Damage
Incontinence-associated dermatitis and skin fold rashes — how to tell them apart from a pressure injury, and the skin care routine that resolves them.
Acute & complex
Surgical Wounds
What normal incision healing looks like, why some surgical wounds open or become infected, and exactly when to call.
Burns
Burn depth explained, first aid for a thermal burn, which burns belong at a burn center, and caring for a healing partial-thickness burn.
Traumatic Wounds
Cuts, scrapes, punctures, bites, and crush injuries — what to do first, when to go to the emergency department, and how these are managed.
Atypical Wounds
When a wound is not what it first appears to be. The clues that point to pyoderma gangrenosum, vasculitis, calciphylaxis, or skin cancer — and why biopsy matters.
For family caregivers
Family members do most of the wound care in this country, usually with almost no training. Start with Caring for Your Wound at Home, then add the handout for the specific wound type.
For facilities
You are welcome to print these for residents and families. We also provide hands-on staff in-services on prevention, staging, positioning, and documentation. See our events calendar or contact us to schedule.
Still have questions?
No handout replaces a conversation. Call 844-50-WOUND or email info@integritywoundaz.com and we will help you figure out the next step.