Any advice on cutting toenails of person with dementia that is extremely jumpy?

I was responding to 1Rarefind, where the gentleman was hospitalized and the person said "they didn't know how the hospital was able to do the nail cutting." Thus, MAYBE they used an EXTREMELY low dose anti-anxiety med? IDK.

I was doing the same thing....I wasn't saying the podiatrist does sedation, unless of course it's surgery whereby you're put under anesthesia.

OK gardenartist, it was llamalover who mentioned sedative, I was responding to that

captain, yes, it does seem like so many of our elders do become kind of like children again, doesn't it? This is what can be hard because the "child" is in an adult body, and some famous can actually be far worse to deal with than things you would normally deal with in children. The journey can be a hard one for sure, whether your full-time or just part of a team effort doing your part, it can still be hard. In the case of facilities containing abusive staff, this can cause trust issues as well as abuse outside of a facility. Even if you hear of someone having been abused regardless of where it happened, it can cause serious trust issues. I'm a survivor myself, I know what I'm talking about because I also lost my only full blooded sister to the same abuse I barely survived. Sometimes I don't know why I survived, but sometimes I'm glad I did. The life of a survivor can definitely be hard, and in my case, i'm particularly protective of my home which is my safe haven, my money, and my bank account. There are also other precautions I take because I believe in "just in case", and "just in case" has already paid off when some things occurred close to home and I was already prepared. It pays to be prepared even if it turns out to be no more than "just in case", because "just in case" can one day save your life.

GardenArtist, I was actually trying to respond to someone who mentioned it but I don't recall who did. I was actually a bit surprised by the mention of it, which is why I replied to whoever it was

1RareFind
yea ," trust " is what i didnt verbalize but should have . it isnt implied , its earned . ill never live long enough to forget aunt edna slamming her eyes shut and leaning forward for a hair trim from me at the NH . we were defying everyone around us and we likes it that way dammit . of course we were busted . thats what defiance is all about . the first time i fixed her ingrown nails she gifted me the toenail clippers that she'd cut my nails with 50 yrs ago . im not a collector so she gave them instead to my son who DOES treasure such things and wont part with them . it still makes me misty eyed to this day . 50 yrs ago my aunt was trying to induce comfort into my life . my mother was brilliant and an awesome teacher but a piss poor mother in ways . edna was nurturing , to say the least . im so glad i got to baby her when she became baby - like again .

Rarefind, if you're referring to my post suggesting the use of a short-term tranquilizer, you've misread or misunderstood it. I never suggested use by a podiatrist of a sedative or anesthetic.

I never heard of any podiatrist whatsoever ever using sedatives on any of their patients unless the patient was having surgery at the hospital and went under anesthesia. I had 2 foot surgeries many years ago at our local hospital's surgical department, and I had to be hospitalized overnight after the first one because I had an unexpected seizure.

However, these days things may have changed for all I know. Even our local hospital is under new ownership and, only one example of how quick things can change when one hospital that's been there for decades can suddenly change ownership! There was a period of years when I didn't even need a doctor but now I do. I'm pretty sure there are probably some things in the medical field that have also changed. However, I may be a bit surprised if podiatrists started using sedatives on their patients, because as far as I know this is very unheard of (unless they just started doing it). The most likely way to use a mild sedative though is if the patient or their family has some on hand by prescription to the patient from the patient's doctor. This is the only way I can see a sedative be in use for a podiatry visit (unless the patient is undergoing surgery and needs anesthetic). My foster sister is in the medical field, I'm going to ask her if she ever heard of a podiatrist using sedatives because maybe she has whereas I have not.

Rarefind: No doubt mild sedation was used.

Chandra: That's great to know!

This situation just reminded me of when my foster dad was hospitalized. We all found out that he secretly had severely overgrown toenails, and I think I was probably just as shocked as anyone else would be. I don't know how the hospital was able to do it, but they were able to get his toenails cut! 😂 He also had overgrown eyebrows, and again, I don't know how they did it, but they were also able to cut his eyebrows down to proper size 😂 I don't know what kind of trick they may have used to get this done, for all I know they could've possibly sedated him, I don't know because I wasn't there when everything happened

The Podiatrist that comes to the house is very professional and brings with him everything he needs to create a hygenic environment.

Chandra: I hope this doctor is clean and going to put in place an hygienic area to do this process in a home.

We found a podiatrist who came to the house to cut my mom's toenails and work on her calluses. I'm getting an appt. for my dad now. He mainly works with elderly patients, and he's also a great guy that brightens their day.

Sandra, I think you're discovered a good approach - calm her down first with some TLC, then segue into the trimming. Great insights!

Since she's jumpy maybe start out doing foot massages.
Again soaking feels good and when she gets use to the
massages slowly introduce her to cutting. All pedicurest
soak the feet first to make the nails easier to cut and sluff
off dead skin.sounds like you will have to gain trust first like
someone suggested. If she starts looking forward to the massages
then the cutting should be easier.

There may be very good foot care products on the market, but the biggest problem right now is getting a very jumpy person to even trust you, and when they have dementia, the problem is going to be even more challenging. This is why you really want to first work on getting the person to even trust you before trying to do any foot care because they can easily kick you and hurt you pretty bad. I personally would first work on the trust issue before anything else. Once you get past that barrier, take it very slow and go easy. Again, this may actually have to be performed by a professional who knows how to handle these types of cases, because without first getting past the trust issue, you'll never get anything done because you won't even get anywhere close to them. If the person is already jumping, take the hint and don't force things along because again, you'll only make matters worse by forcing the issue

danabear: Spot on great idea!

ever see the ad on tv going right now for this electric file that won't cut nails or skin? Sold at WalMart here. Don't see why it cannot be used on toenails too!

Make sure you get a GOOD podiatrist. My mother's was dirty-looking and had a dirty whirlpool tub that she put her feet in. I was appalled when I saw it and him, but mom did not care because it was socialization. Jeez Pezzy!

you can buy a miniature pair of electronic wire cutting dykes on ebay for 8 bucks . they are great for excizing ingrown nails . real sharp and pointy . you can wiggle the tips in gently till you get to the proper depth then make the cut . toenail clippers are stone age by comparison . my mom was diabetic and doc always inspected her feet and never had a comment about the nails .

This is THE sorest subject here at home with mom.
Mom has had---all her life---the thickest nails on earth. (ha!)
Tendency to ingrown... YES!
Diabetes...NO.
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I went to Sally´s Supply and studied what they had to cut toe nails, since now, it is my job.
The attendant was SO helpful!!!
Got the Black Emery Board for ACRYLIC (fake) nails, and it works WONDERS!!!
One time we file down (no fuss, TV on her favorite show), brightest lamp I own over, and having soaked on epsom, lavender, and tea tree for 1 hour. YES 1 hour.
The beauty person told me that if I do not soak them very well
they will split length wise and bleed = Emergency Room..........
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Next time it is time to trim. Bought the strongest clippers, stainless steel, with rubberized grips on the handle. I need BOTH HANDS to do the big toe nails... and my hands tremble from the force I have to exert. NO PAIN.
Mom has for decades put a small long piece of cotton, soaked in perfume (alcohol), underneath the big toe nail, pushing the corners under the corners of the nail with a metal nail file. WONDER OF WONDERS, she gets NO ingrown nails EVER!!! Please please believe me it works. Please try it. It will not hurt, and have everything to gain.
Sometimes I play one of her favorite DVD's of Frank Sinatra... haha, and she almost..............almost...............forgets what we are doing. Not quite.
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No, she never ever ever had a pedicure. Never. And *for the record*, the only pedi I ever got myself personally was neat while it lasted, but the toe nail fungus I brought home lasted 3 years to go away.
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My acupuncturist suggested a daily soak in vinegar, pure vinegar.
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What really worked was applying tea tree oil every night for 3 years........

Well, it is about that time. What time? That time. To stop. Hehehe. Chin up you all wonderful caregivers, we are invincible!!! Oh, I suggested the motorized filing..........mom told me I was nuts! hahahahah!!!!
M88

If someone is being extremely jumping as what described here, it's not a very good idea to tackle this task on your own. Doing so would risk injury too either of you, not too smart!
Think of a wild horse for a moment. As long as that horse is jumpy, you're not going to get anything done with that horse, and you're certainly not going to do any foot grooming on that horse. The same goes for very jumpy people. I personally would never even touch someone that jumpy, not even if they showed any hint of it. This is where trouble can start, and this is why I would never touch them if they showed any sign of discomfort like you're describing here. The person is scared, don't force yourself on them, it'll only scare them even more. If they become any more jumpy me to the point of running from you, they won't even trust you. This is where the pros come in, and I'd definitely rely on them to know how to handle this kind of problem. I'm not going to guarantee that every podiatrist is going to want to even touch this kind of person if there but scared if on them to know how to handle this kind of problem. I'm not going to guarantee that every podiatrist is going to want to even touch this kind of person if they're that scared. If you force yourself on them, they could fight you physically, and you don't want to get kicked and sustained serious injury, it's just not worth risking your safety or the safety of that person. I would hate for you to get badly hurt only to have to explain it to the hospital, this would be very hard to explain, because yes, you would definitely have some explaining to do if you got hurt that bad by that person

I started to go to a podiatrist but felt she cut my nails too short. I also had a $40 co-pay for a specialist visit even though Medicare covered it. Decided to give up as long as I can still reach my feet.

Agree with all other advice. Go to the podiatrist if diabetic or any other skin problems. Use clippers or a file otherwise whatever works for you.

Now the cat is another problem. Now she is trained i can roll her on her back on my lap and cut all the claws

Take her to a podiatrist..medicare will cover..

A podiatrist comes to my Mom's Day program at the Senior Ctr.. Check into that ..

There is no need for a podiatrist as long as she's willing to allow you to do the toenails. I agree with you about the filing. I am diabetic as well and I only use clippers when the nails has grown too long and need to be cut before filing. A battery operated file gets it down quickly and you can get them for about $10. It's much faster but a regular metal file can work as well.

I just wanted to add that my dad had been having his toenails cut by the same podiatrist for about a year. I then decided to ask if she could do my moms toenails too, watched my moms face while she was getting toenails cut and saw her grimace. Then watched my dad when it was his turn and he did the same thing. Afterwards I asked both of them if it hurt, they both replied yes. I asked dad why he never said anything and he said I thought it was suppose to hury. Needless to say, she was not invited back. Wanted to add one last thing, my parents never had to pay anything additional then what medicare covered. The doctor only ever asked for the medicare numbers and not the supplemental coverage info. Guess each state is different.

Like everyone else suggested, I would highly recommend a podiatrist. I think many people would be scared of someone cutting into the nailbed, this would be very painful and enough to make anyone jump. I also agree with the poster to mention that if the toenails aren't maintained, it will cause complications, and one of those complications is when they wear shoes

Just for the record, i DOUBLE spaced my paragraphs while typing on my phone, oh well
💅👣

I did my moms for years with a nail file too, worked just fine. I sat here and laughed with cutting a few nails at a time, doing while sleeping then the ice cream cone. That is exactly how I did my kids nails!

We found a a home visiting podiatrist thru our GP doctor. Many who treat the homebound (you don't really have to be homebound and fully covered by Medicare) also visit nursing homes. Call your local nursing home and ask for the name of their foot doctor. I was in nursing home visiting my uncle when the foot doctor came in and he was the one that told me to try that. Also if you are receiving any home nursing visits, they usually know podiatrists who make home visits.
I would make a big thing of doing my moms feet. Let's soak in nice smelling warm water, put rubber gloves on and soap up your hands and this is a good way to clean between their toes too. Then I would crèam up her feet and legs, give her a massage. Then I would give her a taffy while i polished her nails. Hair dryer on cool setting gets the nails dried quick. If it wS cold in the house, I would put moms feet on a heating pad. Obviously, those days I didn't get too much done around the house but it was time I spent with my mom so I didn't care if the lunch dishes were still out when it was time to cook dinner. One thing having my children and taking care of my mom taught, don't sweat the cleaning, it will still be there when you are done! Good luck