September is World Alzheimer’s Month, and this year the Alzheimer’s Society is urging everyone to talk about dementia to raise awareness of how it impacts the daily lives of people affected by the condition and to challenge the stigma that surrounds it.
My step-daughter, Maddie, secured a place in the London Marathon this October for the Alzheimer’s Society and everyone here at Farnham Foot Clinic is delighted to be supporting her. You can too via the link below.
As part of the conversation around dementia, I’d like to talk about foot care for people living with the condition.
If someone you care for has dementia, you’ll know how important it is for them to stay physically active. Maintaining healthy feet is vital to this so I’d like to share four simple foot care steps.
Foot Care Steps
- Examine regularly. Ensure the feet are kept clean and dry and toenails are clipped short. Look out for the early signs of bunions, corns and calluses, hammertoe and toenail problems, such as ingrown toenails, fungal nail infections and abnormally thick nails. Any of these conditions can make feet sore and cause balance problems. You can learn more about fungal nail infections and much more in our blog.
- Create a pampering activity. The more regular the better as it could help to reduce agitated behaviour. Although some of the tips aren’t applicable during the colder months, our sensational summer feet blog is brilliant guide line to taking care of your feet!
- Swap slippers. Slippers shouldn’t be worn for more than a few hours at a time as they don’t offer sufficient support. If they’re old and worn they could also be hazardous. Look out for supportive bootie-type slippers with non-slip soles and limit how much they’re worn.
- Check shoes are comfortable. It may sound obvious, but someone with dementia may not be able to verbalise pain or discomfort very well. Well-fitted, comfortable shoes are necessary for mobility and enjoyment of life. It’s also worth considering an indoor pair instead of slippers.
If you would like help with any aspect of your loved one’s foot care, please don’t hesitate to contact the clinic. Our team is here to help, we see people every day with many different medical complications and we’re sensitive to the needs of people with memory loss and other long term health conditions.
