Wound Care Supplies for Skilled Nursing, DME, and Home Care Providers
Geriatric Medical supplies wound care products in wholesale volumes to skilled nursing facilities, long-term care communities, wound care teams, DME/HME providers, and home health agencies nationwide. Our catalog includes advanced wound dressings such as foams, alginates, hydrocolloids, hydrogels, transparent films, and antimicrobial dressings, along with traditional wound care supplies such as gauze, pads, bandage rolls, and tape, so your team can source a complete wound care formulary from one distributor.
Whether you're treating pressure injuries, skin tears, surgical wounds, or venous and diabetic ulcers, or standardizing a wound care formulary across your facilities, our team can help you match dressing types and sizes to your wound care protocols and order volume.
Wound Care Questions from Providers
What wound care supplies does Geriatric Medical carry?
We carry specialty wound care products, including advanced dressings such as foams, alginates, hydrocolloids, hydrogels, transparent films, and antimicrobial dressings, and traditional wound care supplies, including gauze sponges, non-adherent pads, abdominal (ABD) pads, bandage rolls, and tape. Related products include wound irrigation solutions, skin care and barrier products, and pressure relief products.
What's the difference between traditional and advanced wound dressings?
Traditional wound care products, such as gauze, pads, and bandage rolls, are economical and versatile, and they're commonly used for simple wounds, as secondary dressings, and for securing other dressings. Advanced wound dressings, such as foams, alginates, hydrocolloids, and hydrogels, are designed to manage moisture and maintain a moist wound healing environment, and many can stay in place for several days. Most wound care formularies include both, with dressing selection following the wound care order.
How do we choose a wound dressing based on drainage?
The amount of wound drainage, called exudate, is one of the main factors in dressing selection. Dry wounds or wounds with little drainage often use hydrogels to add moisture, or transparent films and hydrocolloids to hold moisture in. Wounds with moderate drainage commonly use foam dressings. Wounds with heavy drainage often use alginate or gelling fiber dressings, which absorb large amounts of fluid. Wound depth, infection, the condition of the surrounding skin, and the location of the wound also matter, and selection should follow the prescriber's or wound care nurse's order.
What's the difference between foam, alginate, hydrocolloid, and hydrogel dressings?
Foam dressings are soft, absorbent pads for moderate drainage, and they're available with or without an adhesive border. Alginate dressings are made from seaweed-derived fibers that form a gel as they absorb heavy drainage, and they usually need a secondary dressing. Hydrocolloid dressings form a gel over the wound for low to moderate drainage and create a protective, water-resistant seal. Hydrogel dressings and gels add moisture to dry wounds to support healing. Each has specific indications and precautions in its labeling.
What's the difference between a primary and a secondary dressing?
A primary dressing is placed directly on the wound bed, and a secondary dressing goes over it to hold it in place, absorb additional drainage, or protect it. For example, an alginate or hydrogel placed in the wound is often covered with a foam, gauze, or bordered dressing. Some dressings, such as bordered foams and hydrocolloids, can work as both. Knowing which products serve as primary and secondary dressings helps facilities stock the right combinations.
When are antimicrobial wound dressings used?
Antimicrobial dressings contain agents such as silver, iodine, honey, or PHMB that help manage bacteria in the wound. They're typically used for wounds that are infected, at high risk of infection, or not healing as expected because of bacterial burden. Antimicrobial dressings are generally used for a limited period and reassessed, and their use should follow the prescriber's or wound care team's order.
What dressings are best for fragile skin and skin tears?
Older adults are at high risk of skin tears and of skin damage when adhesive dressings and tapes are removed. Dressings with a soft silicone adhesive, non-adherent contact layers, and gentle foam dressings are commonly used for skin tears and fragile skin because they can be removed with less trauma. Traditional adhesive tapes are generally avoided directly on fragile skin, and securing dressings with rolled gauze or tubular bandages can be gentler alternatives.
How often do advanced wound dressings need to be changed?
Many advanced dressings are designed to stay in place for several days, depending on the product, the amount of drainage, and the wound care order, while traditional gauze dressings are often changed daily or more often. Fewer dressing changes can reduce disruption to the wound, lower the total number of dressings used, and save nursing time. Dressings should also be changed when they're saturated, leaking, or loose, and according to the manufacturer's labeling.
What's the difference between woven and non-woven gauze?
Woven gauze is made from cotton threads and is commonly used for packing, cleaning, and general wound care, but it can shed fibers and stick to wounds as it dries. Non-woven gauze is made from pressed synthetic or blended fibers, which makes it softer, more absorbent, and less likely to leave lint in the wound. Both are available sterile and non-sterile, and sterile gauze should be used on open wounds.
Why should facilities standardize a wound care formulary?
A wound care formulary is a defined list of approved wound care products that staff use for different wound types and drainage levels. Standardizing on a formulary helps staff choose products consistently, reduces the number of similar products stocked, lowers waste from expired or unused dressings, and makes ordering simpler. Many facilities build their formulary with input from their wound care nurse or wound care team and review it periodically.
Can we order wound care supplies through EDI or a punchout catalog?
Yes. Geriatric Medical supports EDI ordering and punchout catalog integration for accounts that manage purchasing through their own procurement, EHR, or ERP systems, so wound care supplies can be ordered the same way as the rest of your catalog without manual re-entry.