Objective To identify the overall experience and multi-dimensional needs of elderly patients with diabetic foot ulcers (DFU) in wound management based on journey mapping, to provide references for optimizing wound management for this group.Methods A descriptive qualitative research method was used.From April to November 2024, 15 elderly patients with DFU were selected as interview subjects, and four rounds of face-to-face semi-structured interviews were conducted on the first day of hospitalization, the day before discharge, three months after discharge, and six months after discharge.Directed content analysis was used for data analysis and the patient journey mapping was drawn.Results According to the timeline of diagnosis and treatment, and based on four dimensions of tasks, emotions, pain points, and satisfaction points, the experience and needs of elderly patients with DFU in wound management were summarized into 37 themes in three periods, including 11 thems in the assessment and diagnosis period (weak willingness to seek medical treatment, intelligent and humanized medical services, etc.), 14 thems in the hospital treatment period (difficulty in pain management, multidisciplinary treatment collaboration, etc.), and 12 thems in the home ma-nagement period (lack of knowledge and skills in self-management of wounds, positive feedback incentives, etc.).Conclusion The journey of wound management for elderly patients with DFU is long and complex, with dynamic and multi-dimensional needs.Medical staff should accurately identify the key interaction points, pain points, and satisfaction points in different stages of the patient′s wound management journey, further optimize the allocation of medical resources and diagnostic and treatment services, and promote the early healing of patients′ ulcers.