Paper
Friday, 21 July 2006
This presentation is part of : Research Testing Strategies for Implementing Evidence-Base Practice
Proper Foot Wear for the Personal Care Home Resident
Sandra Leigh Trubyk, MSN, BN, BA, CAE, School of Community and Liberal Studies, Sheridan Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning, Brampton, ON, Canada
Learning Objective #1: understand the need to educate the cleint, the client's family or friends what is proper and safe footwear for the elderly
Learning Objective #2: understand the need to educate Practical Nursing and Personal Support Worker students in their programs how to assess safe footwear
Footwear is an item worn by people everday in their activities of daily living. Yet, footwear is an item that i not given much  attention, in regards to safety.  Every year in our health care facilities, there are hundreds of fall occurrencecs. Some of these falls are detrimental to the residents' health. Elderly people who have suffered a fall have a greater chance of fractures and complications from fractures.

Some of the residents' falls are due to their footwear. Most healthcare providers are not trained in assessing the foot or the safety of footwear.  Since 1998, Manitoba trained Practical Nursing students must pass a foot care course in order to gaduate. If Registered nurses and other health care providers choose to, they may take a foot carecourse after graduating from health care program, but at their own time and expense. A foot care course is not mandatory for employment. Therefore, there are many healthcare providers who do not know how to assess a foot or footwear of the ambulating client. 

Research has been addressing the importance of elderly people wearing footwear that has a proper fit and is safe to ambulate in.  Footcare nurses have been declaring peoples' poor choices in footwear. The Winnipeg Regional Health Authority added to their Occurrence Report Form, in 2004, "footwear" to the list of possible causes of falls.  Health Care facilities are just beginning to recognize the number of falls caused by improper fitting footwear or inappropraite footwear for the elderly.

Forty-four persoal caqre home residnets' feet and their footwear were assessed for proper fit, comfort and safety.  The research project was performed to find if the majority of residents in care are at risk for falls or wounds to the feet due to improper footwear. 

See more of Research Testing Strategies for Implementing Evidence-Base Practice
See more of The 17th International Nursing Research Congress Focusing on Evidence-Based Practice (19-22 July 2006)