My husband is mostly home-bound and needs toenails clipped, they are thick and I can’t do it. Looking for a nurse or aide to cut his toenails every few months.
A podiatrist would be my recommendation. A senior’s feet should be in the hands of a medical professional, especially in the presence of circulatory issues, diabetes, thinning skin, or certain meds like blood thinners.
I recommend a Podiatrist in the neighborhood especially if your loved one is on a blood thinner.
I might add that a nail tech, as someone else mentioned, I would NOT recommend. A "medical professional" on this one, in my humble opinion will suffice. The Podiatrist has the equipment to check for other things too along with recommended certain shoes brands.
Usually your health insurance will cover every 9 weeks or so. This will be an on-going issue. Not sure about homecare but the Podiatrist have all of the tools to make sure things are done in the proper way.
I take my mother to the Podiatrist every 9 weeks. I was too afraid to attempt this myself. There are some things I will not do like go to the Dollar Store and buy a pair of nail clippers. I put this one in the hands of a medical specialist.
Yes, Medicare pays for a Podiatrist every 10 to 12 wks. A nurse is not supposed to cut toenails and definitely not an aide. Even in LTC a psychiatrist is called in.
JoAnn29, there are nurse practitioners who are trained in foot care. I have used one for myself! They are reimbursed by Medicare in the same way a podiatrist is reimbursed.
Take him to a clean sterile environment and someone with experience cutting men’s toenails, leaving not too short that they must continue cutting because they got it wrong the first time. I knew of a senior who had the doctor clip her nails and now she’s a double amputee at the legs because she got an infection and they kept it bandaged with no ventilation. Please keep an eye on your hubby!
you could take him to a podiatrist, but I had better results with nail technicians.
Get a professional sanding nail groomer like the ones salons use to remove gel nail color. (At-home models are ineffective). Sand down the nails so they are a more natural thickness. He will even feel better!
You may be able to find a nail technician that makes house calls. They are generally more effective at making a difference in toenail comfort and gentler than podiatrists.
Try to get one that will address ingrown toenails.
Medicare will cover the podiatrist, but not a nail tech. Also, the podiatrist is trained to look for other foot issues. A podiatrist has fairly close to the number of years of training that an M.D. has and can look after your husband's complete foot health. She/he will also know if your husband's feet suggest other possible health issues.
His PCP will need to make a referral for a podiatrist; or you may be able to call podiatrist directly; you can try that and they will tell you if you need a referral from PCP.
I recommend a Podiatrist in the neighborhood especially if your loved one is on a blood thinner.
I might add that a nail tech, as someone else mentioned, I would NOT recommend. A "medical professional" on this one, in my humble opinion will suffice. The Podiatrist has the equipment to check for other things too along with recommended certain shoes brands.
Usually your health insurance will cover every 9 weeks or so. This will be an on-going issue. Not sure about homecare but the Podiatrist have all of the tools to make sure things are done in the proper way.
I take my mother to the Podiatrist every 9 weeks. I was too afraid to attempt this myself. There are some things I will not do like go to the Dollar Store and buy a pair of nail clippers. I put this one in the hands of a medical specialist.
As noted above, Medicare will pay for this service.
Get a professional sanding nail groomer like the ones salons use to remove gel nail color. (At-home models are ineffective). Sand down the nails so they are a more natural thickness. He will even feel better!
You may be able to find a nail technician that makes house calls. They are generally more effective at making a difference in toenail comfort and gentler than podiatrists.
Try to get one that will address ingrown toenails.
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