Foot Care For Seniors
Your feet play an essential role in overall health and wellness, but they are often an overlooked part of the body. Your feet equally distribute and support your weight, making mobility and balance possible. Yet nearly one-third of older adults suffer from foot discomfort.
Understanding the importance of foot care and ways to take better care of your feet can lead to less foot pain, improved quality of life, and overall wellness.
Why Is Foot Care Important?
Your feet literally support your body and are crucial for mobility. Any foot discomfort, whether ingrown toenails or pressure sores, can cause excruciating pain while walking or standing. Foot discomfort can also increase your fall risk and ability to stand for long periods. And when you’re unable to walk without pain or have an increased risk of falling, you’ll have a harder time maintaining weight, running errands, and completing daily tasks independently.
Foot care becomes even more important in seniors with diabetes. Sometimes, diabetes can cause a condition called diabetic neuropathy, a type of nerve damage that can make it challenging to detect injuries and infections because of a loss of sensation in the feet.
Tips To Improve Foot Care
Most foot concerns in seniors are preventable and treatable. Prioritize your foot care with these tips from podiatrists with the UCLA Medical Group.
Wear The Right Footwear
One of the primary contributors to foot discomfort is wearing the wrong footwear. People of all ages wear shoes that are too small and don’t properly support their feet. When you regularly wear shoes that are too small or don’t offer support, you put unwanted pressure and strains on the foot bones and muscles, causing discomfort.
A proper shoe should have about a half-inch between your big toe and the front of the shoe when standing. It should securely support your foot arch and feel comfortable standing and walking in without chafing on top of the foot or sides of the ankle. You also want shoes without tall heels and ones that fully support the heel (no slides with an open back).
Moisturize
Dry and cracked feet affect many people, not just seniors. Dry feet may not seem like a major concern, but the small cracks in the skin of your feet make you more susceptible to infections. Dry feet can also become irritated, causing general discomfort.
Keep your feet moisturized by applying a fragrance-free moisturizer once or twice a day. The best time to apply a moisturizer is right after a shower, as this helps trap some of the moisture from the water into your skin.
Inspect Your Feet
Many foot concerns have visible signs that something is wrong. Get into the habit of inspecting your feet daily. You want to look for cracking, scaling, peeling, or blisters around the toes, arches, or heels. You also want to note any swelling or changes to the skin and nails of your feet. Some foot concerns may heal on their own, but you should always consult with a doctor if something persists for more than a few days.
Don’t Ignore Pain
Pain is not a normal part of aging. If you’re experiencing pain for more than a day or two, whether mild or severe, do not ignore it. Pain is often one of the first signals that something could be wrong, and you’ll want to get your doctor involved immediately.
Pain doesn’t necessarily mean something is life-threatening, so don’t push aside going to the doctor for fear of bad news. Many foot conditions are treatable, and getting to the doctor quickly means getting rid of pain faster and leading to a healthier, higher quality of life.
Improving Your Feet With Visiting Angels
Visiting Angels cares about our clients’ health and well-being, including foot care. Whether clients need help putting on shoes, moisturizing their feet, or scheduling a doctor’s appointment to check out pain, the caregivers at Visiting Angels are available to help. We also offer various other at-home care services, such as light housekeeping, medication reminders, and mobility assistance.
Our Rockwall office serves clients in Rockwall and the surrounding Texas communities. You can learn more by contacting our local office or viewing our services online.