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BarbBrooklyn Asked July 2014

Anyone dealt with swollen feet and toenail trimming?

My mom, 91, with CHF, vascular dementia, has very swollen feet and ankles, which are being address with diuretics, compression hose. The podiatrist who comes to the facility states that she can't trim mom's toenails for fear of infection. Has anyone else dealt with this issue? Any suggestions?

anonymous158299 Jul 2014
i think the podiatrist just doesnt want the liability of messing with her toenails .
he / she shouldnt be in the business if they want to avoid all potential risks , imo ..

pamstegma Jul 2014
Up the Lasix or ask for Bumex. And I bet she skips PT (mom does). Check her room for salty chips, nuts, crackers and confiscate them (mom had some).
Get written orders for no added salt (she will complain) and get her some Mrs. Dash to use instead. Our mom had the happy habit of bouncing out of bed before the aide could get there to put the stockings on. Be firm with her, because if infection sets in, off go the legs, remind her of that.

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BarbBrooklyn Jul 2014
Thanks Pam. She is getting pt. She has a hospital bed with elevation but probably isnt doing that often enough. She's on lasix but they've got her on a low dose since in the past diuretics have wreakrd havoc with her sodium. I'll ask whether they put the hose on before she gets up. How much should we worry about swollen legs/feet. It seems to be a function of the chef and poor circulation. How aggressive should we ask them to be? My attitudethese days is "if iit's not going to kill her, don't treat it"

pamstegma Jul 2014
Oh, and don't blame the podiatrist. Instead, sit down with the director of wellness aka head nurse and see what can be done. You may need written orders from her MD to get stuff happening.

pamstegma Jul 2014
My guess: 1. She is not staying off her feet and elevating them 2. The diuretics are insufficient or she is eating salty snacks. 3. She is not in a hospital bed which could elevate her feet AND she is not getting the stockings on before she gets out of bed. 4. She is not attending the exercise classes or PT. Hope that helps.

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