Common foot issues of aging are outlined here, with tips to help.Our feet certainly take a beating! For years they’ve enabled us to walk, run, hop, jump, kick, balance, and more, and as we grow older, all of that activity begins to take a toll, leaving our feet vulnerable to a number of problems. As one of the highest rated providers of home care in Paradise Valley and the surrounding area, the care team at Nightingale Homecare has the information you need to address these concerns and help improve senior foot health:
- Edema: Poor circulation can cause fluid to build up in the feet and ankles, resulting in swelling (edema). This is particularly common in those with congestive heart failure, diabetes, and liver or kidney disease.
- Try: Drink plenty of water, elevate the legs as often as possible, soak feet in cool water, and ask the doctor to recommend foot and leg exercises.
- Osteoarthritis: Most commonly affecting joints in the ankles and feet, osteoarthritis is diagnosed in as many as 16 out of every 100 seniors. Risk factors include previous injury to the foot or ankle, obesity, bunions, and hammertoe.
- Try: Physical therapy, canes or braces that provide support to the joints, customized shoes or shoe inserts, or medications/steroid injections at the direction of the doctor.
- Flat feet: The ligaments in the feet often stretch as we grow older, resulting in pain and swelling. Flat feet can cause problems with balance and mobility, as well as an enhanced risk of sprains to the foot or ankle.
- Try: Proper fitting shoes and/or shoe inserts to relieve pressure on the arch of the foot.
- Thickening of the toenails: As hormone production decreases, keratin production also decreases, leading nails to thicken and become more brittle.
- Try: Have toenails cut regularly and keep them clean and dry. The doctor may also prescribe a cream or ointment to help.
- Seborrheic keratosis: Although they mimic warts, these lesions can appear on the top (never the soles) of the feet, and may itch or cause irritation when shoes are worn.
- Try: See the doctor to have the lesions tested to ensure they aren’t cancerous, and then depending upon the level of irritation, the doctor may opt to remove them.
- Shortened Achilles tendon: Water loss in the tendons through aging can cause the Achilles tendon (which connects the heel bone to the calf muscle) to shorten, impacting gait and flexibility.
- Try: Some stretching exercises may help; check with the doctor for specific recommendations.
Nightingale Homecare’s full range of skilled nursing, non-medical care, and orthopedic rehabilitation services can all help those struggling with issues related to foot problems. Working in conjunction with a senior’s medical team, we can provide the care and resources needed to optimize health, right in the comfort of home.
To learn more about how Nightingale Homecare, the top providers of home care in Paradise Valley and the surrounding area, can help, and to request a free in-home consultation to learn more, call us any time at (602) 504-1555.
