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Mom had a stroke 3.5 years ago with limited use of the leg and foot. During this time her foot wants to turn inward. So after trying 2-3 braces online, we went to the Prosthetic location near us and they specialize in custom braces. It worked wonderfully! And mom loved it. We never thought to look at the bottom of moms foot, but 4 days after we had an adjustment to bring the foot more level, a blister appeared below her pinky toe and the bottom of her foot where she puts the most pressure now.


Well that was a month ago and the blister is about dime size and still red. If the bandage slips up off the sore, she turns with her foot on the floor making the sore split. This usually happens when the RAs give her a shower (bagging the foot) then putting her sock back in, pushing the whole bandage up to her ankle. The next time she stands and rotates with that foot down, there’s blood.


Since it’s been 30 days, the assisted living is now saying if if doesn’t heal in 90, she will have to move brocade she has a wound that won’t heal. Which is crap. If they would use common sense, it would have by now.


I go by and run her foot to keep extra swelling down and it’s a good day if she gets her support hose on for swelling.


A care nurse comes by once a day to redress the wound, but if the shower incident happens, she’s in a damp bandage on her ankle and only a sock covering the wound all day.


Is there anything I can do to speed up the healing so she can get back to walking (won’t let her walk or put pressure on the foot) and rid us of these threats?


I have considered asking the doctor to pop her into rehab where it can be cared for better.

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research and get Manuka honey. Apply topically.
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Re: HBO it may be difficult for the senior to sit still or lie on a gurney long enough for the HBO. I know the person needs to be still and not move around much in the HBO chamber.

This is is a blister, thank goodness, not an all out deep wound. I am hoping this heals quickly for the OP so his mother can stay where she is now.
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Also HBO, is also paid thru Medicaid and Medicare and does not hurt and highly recommended for those foot ulcers and those hard to heal body sores. consult your doctor or wound care clinics. It was a deal breaker for my husband and it really worked for him. Try it or at least look into it. :-) Good LUCK!!!...
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I would recommend HBO, Ask your healthcare provider about The Center for Wound Healing. “HBO” therapy is a medical treatment that enhances the body’s natural healing and strengthens the immune system. Delivered by trained Center for Wound Healing specialists, HBO therapy is an effective treatment option for most chronic wounds.
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Have you considered getting someone outside the AL to come by and dress the wound a couple of times a day? One of my cousins is an RN and she goes by an AL here to dress the wound of a diabetic lady she knows from church. Having the same person dress the wound appropriately every time can help. If you have a particular problem with the dressing getting wet during bathing, I would suggest engaging someone to come by at least after bath time.
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Hi. I am from Australia. If you can find it probably health food store get a jar of New Zealand or Australian MANUKA honey. This is not a brand but a specific type of honey from the Manuka tree
you only need a little bit each morning and night place a little bit on a sterile gauze pad and affix it to the blister. This should work. Also good for ulcers
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For protein you might try the powdered Ensure. I mix one up with half of the powder and DW will drink that but does not care for the premixed stuff and neither did I. I was giving her two a day. That would give her at least one full serving. I haven't tried it in coffee. But I will. Our Primary is cool with that arrangement. At least she gets some protein this way.
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No, thankfully she doesn’t have diabeties. I told her yesterday on the way to the doctor, that would be a sure trip to the rehab. She thinks it’s a horrid place, and I can understand it is bithersomenwith the nursing home connected there, but the rehab facility isnwhat we would be there for.
Yes, home health nurse comes daily to wrap her foot. The problem is they are all doing it differently. One will tell me no band-aid, yet the next day I go, they have a make shift band-aid with gauze and tape. So since I didn’t hear from wound care yesterday, I’ll let the doctor know. Really hoping to get in ASAP.
The doctor did write ulnthat it’s a non-infectious wound and such so we have that on our side as the facility mentioned they could make us move in 60 more days if it’s not healed. They have had diabetes patients with foot wraps for months on end and they were not forced to move, and this dime sized aggravation isn’t that.
We have 20 months and mom will be clear by the POA of any land she owned if anything BAD happens and she has to go to the nursing home. This blister or sore is not on that level.
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I spoke with the head of Moms assisted living, who is new and a RN specializing in wound care (! Who would have thought!). She said her go-to for protein was a liquid called ProMod and a medicine cup is 16 grams. It works well for elderly with any issues like renal or such, and since mom hasn’t eaten protein to speak of, 16 grams is a good start and if she needs to increase that later she can. She doesn’t have renal issues, but I’m sure dumping 30 grams of protein would disturb her system at this point.
Maybe that info will help someone else who’s parent has decided to be vegan. :)
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To answer your question consider HBO Therapy; if your insurance covers it then look into HBO which is hyperbaric oxygen therapy is the medical use of oxygen at a higher than atmospheric pressure. Hyper means increased and baric relates to pressure. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) refers to intermittent treatment of the entire body with 100-percent oxygen at greater than normal which in my case helped me with a diabetic ulcer that it healed within a few weeks.
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JoAnn29 Feb 2019
My GF was a juvenile diabetic. She had a horrible time with her feet. She would get the sores and her skin would crack.
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Good news about the woundcare center.
Sounds like you’ve already used a protein powder; is the powder whey protein? -that can be sprinkled over her food to provide protein supplement. It’s supposed to be tasteless. Many caregivers use this. Protein intake is very important for wound healing and tissue regeneration. Eggs are a good protein source. I encourage you to goggle protein sources for more info.

Re: woundcare there are so many types of wounds and dressings. They will determine what kind of dressing for her blister and assess the wound at least once per week until it’s almost healed. My guess is they will provide a boot for her to wear with the goal of non weigh bearing to the effected foot.

Diabetics take a long time to heal.

Keep us posted
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You may be past this now since you have a wound care specialist but blister band aids actually work really well and don't typically come off as easily. They are meant to stay on for days through showers and meant for blisters on the feet from shoes. Also there are several natural things I could recommend to help the healing that have worked very well for my mom who is both diabetic and on blood thinners (she's a picker) so gets sores/bleeders all the time and my family for various cut's scrapes, blisters and scars. Let me know if you want to hear about them but again if you have a wound care person coming in they will have their procedure so I wouldn't want to mess with that.
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Does Mom have diabetes? Who is dressing her wound the RN, LPN or a CNA?

If Mom has diabetes, any wound will take a while. I think you have made a good choice to get a wound care pro involved. They know what to look for.

My daughter is a wound care nurse. She recommends when ur trying to keep a dressing dry to wrap it in Glad Press and peal. I have done it and its works. You start wrapping above the bandage. It sticks but won't hurt the skin when removing. Wrap the whole bandage. It sticks to itself and seals. When done, it comes off easily.
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Thank you! I ran her on to the doctor yesterday and we should be in with the wound care today or Tuesday (they are only 2 days a week) and I will ask about the boot.
The protein thing- we have been going over this for a while. She will hardly ever eat meat now! I think the way they cook it at her facility grosses her out now. I bought protein powder, and mixed it with pudding. She wouldn’t take but 2 bites. It won’t blend well with her coffee or I would be set. She loves her Cofee.
She refuses Ensure.
She has even cut back the number of chicken wings when I bring her those. I’m stumped on that!
any ideas would be great- and if anyone knows a powder protein that will dissolve in coffee!
Do they make protein powder in a capsule they can give with meds?
Crossing fingers we get in to the wound care today. Every nurse that wraps her foot doesnit differently and they balk and how many times over once a day they need to come by. I suggested the rehab up the road for better treatment and I’m borderline - if they refuse to treat her wound like advised, that may pass with Medicare and get us in. Of course she hates it and it scares her since they are connected to the nursing home. Dad told her for years I’d dump her there and leave her. I could whoop his butt for that, but he’s dead, so that’s that. (He was a narcissist).
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First, I suggest the wound be evaluated by a woundcare center so the proper dressing can be applied if you’ve not done that already. If you have, ask for recommendations from the WC center on how to promote healing.

There is a boot like device that helps keep weight bearing off the effected foot. It’s bulky however but has Velcro straps for easy on and off. Maybe she can wear this?

I can understand what a position you are in because it’s a tough one.

I would try as much as you can to keep her off that foot to promote healing. The wound dressing needs to be clean and dry always as if a wet dressing stays on for a long time the skin will macerate underneath and will split and bleed more easily.

Also her diet is a high factor- make sure she eats plenty of protein or offer a supplement like Ensure. Our body needs protein to make new tissue.

And of course the chance for infection exists so her CGs should be super vigilant and observe that wound daily and report any s/s of infection.

Good luck! I hope her wound heals quickly
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