All of a sudden your loved one is complaining to you or her home care assistance team that it’s painful to go for a walk and that her feet hurt. While there can be many causes, one common complaint for seniors is ingrown toenails. Because they can often not care for their toenails anymore, an ingrown toenail can occur and cause extreme discomfort. If not treated, it can become infected and if your loved one has diabetes, it can be dangerous.
An ingrown toenail occurs when the nail of the toe (usually the big toe) grows into the soft flesh surrounding it. It’s usually a corner or side that digs its way under the skin, causing it to get inflamed and tender. So, if you take a look at your loved one’s toes, and one of them seems to be swollen and inflamed, it might be because of an ingrown toenail.
Treatment is usually fairly simple and can be done at home, either by yourself, your loved one, or someone from her home care assistance team if she is unable. Once the nail has been treated and is no longer ingrown, the key is to keep it from happening again. There are several steps you and your home care assistance team can take to make sure your loved one doesn’t have to suffer from an ingrown toenail again.
Wear Proper Fitting Shoes
This usually applies to women who wear dress shoes that narrow at the toes. These types of shoes create too much friction against the toes, forcing the toenail to grow into the toe. But it can apply to anyone who has shoes that are 10+ years old. Even if the exterior of the shoe is still in good shape, it’s very possible that your loved one’s feet have gotten larger and perhaps the shoe no longer provides enough toe room.
Use Proper Trimming Techniques
If your loved one has trouble reaching her toes or cannot handle a clipper, she should have someone else help trim her toenails. When it comes time for a pedicure, the following steps are best to prevent future ingrown toenails.
- Soak the feet (especially nails) in warm water before beginning to make it easier to trim.
- Make sure all of the equipment (clippers and anything else) are also clean and sterilized before beginning to prevent any type of infection from occurring.
- Trim the nails straight across. Unlike fingernails, they should not curve around the toe. A straight line prevents nails from growing into surrounding skin as they grow.
- Don’t trim nails too short. Toenails should be as long as the toe. Too short nails can be pushed into the top skin of the toe by shoes.
- Avoid repetitive injury to the toes. If your loved one has a hobby or job that requires steel-toed shoes, he should be wearing them when he works.
- Examine toes often to make sure the nails are healthy and not beginning to grow into the surrounding skin.
Preventing ingrown toenails will keep your loved one from missing out on physical activities due to pain and prevent any long-term consequences. Don’t neglect those toes!