Healthy feet can help seniors stay healthier overall. Practicing everyday foot care can also help seniors to age in place if that’s their goal. As seniors continue to age in place, some of the activities that they used to handle on their own and take for granted might get more and more complicated. Personal care at home providers make all sorts of hygiene tasks easier for aging adults to manage, including daily foot care.
Wash Feet with Warm Water
It’s easy to forget to wash feet, but the truth is that just standing in the shower and letting soap run down them doesn’t get them clean. Whether it’s a bath or a shower, seniors should wash their feet with warm water instead of hot water. Hot water can irritate skin and increase dryness. Dry feet carefully, including between the toes.
Avoid Walking Barefoot
Some seniors might enjoy walking around barefoot, but there are problems with doing that often. Injuries to the feet happen more easily when seniors are barefoot, and that can be a problem for seniors with some health conditions, like diabetes.
Seniors can also stub their toes, slip more easily, and experience other issues. Wearing properly-fitted, sturdy shoes helps to avoid these issues.
Swap Out Clean Socks Daily
Socks wick away moisture from feet, but that can also mean that they hold onto germs, bacteria, skin cells, and odors.
The best solution is for seniors to make sure they’re wearing clean and dry socks every day. They should fit well, just like shoes, and seniors might want to consider whether seamless socks are more comfortable for their feet.
Check Shoes for Damage or Changes
As shoes start to wear out, they can experience damage or other changes that make them less helpful for seniors. If seniors find that one side of their shoes wears out faster, for example, that can cause them to lean without realizing that’s what they’re doing.
Keeping tabs on how shoes are wearing ensures that family caregivers can swap out damaged shoes before they cause problems for seniors. Personal care at home providers can also help seniors to stay on top of how well their shoes are holding up.
Inspect Feet Daily
One of the most important tasks for seniors to remember about foot care is that they need to pay close attention to any cuts, blisters, or other changes that indicate trouble. Sometimes seniors don’t feel changes that could alert seniors to the fact that they’ve got a problem.
A visual inspection can be the best way to stay on top of those issues. Personal care at home can make daily foot inspections a regular part of the hygiene routine for seniors.
Feet are truly the foundation of everything that seniors do. Keeping their feet healthy and feeling good ensures that seniors can maintain their mobility and keep enjoying activities that they love to do.
Personal care at home services help seniors with all sorts of hygiene tasks, like everyday foot care. They can assist seniors with changing clothes, bathing, eating, and other tasks that might be more difficult as they continue to age in place.
If you or someone you know needs Personal Care at Home in Granite Falls, MN, contact Adara Home Health. We provide quality and affordable home care services for many fragile or senior members in the communities we serve. Call us at (888) 525-7742 for more information.