As people get older, their body generally needs more and more care. One area of the body that needs to be looked after particularly well is the feet, especially if your loved one eventually develops diabetes. And while those who work at assisted living facilities will have been trained in how to care for elderly feet, you might not know this if you’re just helping out with the care for your elderly loved one.
To help you feel more competent in this area, here are three tips for helping your elderly loved one care for their feet.
Ask About Their Feet Regularly
One of the first and best things that you can do to help ensure that your loved one isn’t having issues with their feet is to ask about their feet regularly.
There are all kinds of problems that elderly people can have with their feet. And because many people feel self-conscious about their feet, they might not bring up these issues of their own volition. But if you can ask them about their feet, your interest in them may encourage them to come forward with any issues that might be experiencing, like pain or needing help with doing a proper inspection. And because they likely can’t get down to their feet to check things out on their own, they will rely on you to help them with this.
Teach Them How To Improve Circulation
Some of the biggest issues elderly people wind up having with their feet come as a result of not having great circulation to their feet. But luckily, there are some easy things you both can do to help with this.
If circulation has been in issue in the past, encourage your loved one to sit with their feet up as often as possible. Additionally, getting regular massages can help improve the blood flow around the feet. You can also ask their doctor about wearing compression stockings to help improve blood flow even more.
Encourage Proper Foot Hygiene
To ensure that big problems don’t occur with your loved one’s feet, you’ll need to help them care for their feet with proper foot hygiene. In most cases, this will include things like washing their feet daily, keeping their feet dry, wearing shoes that are comfortable and supportive, keeping their toenails trimmed, and getting any problem areas looked at by a doctor in a timely manner.
Additionally, if your loved one has diabetes, you’ll have to be extra careful with their feet, as diabetes can make feet much more vulnerable.
If you’re responsible for caring for your elderly loved one, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you learn how to best care for their sensitive feet.
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