If your senior has significant foot pain when she wakes up in the morning, she may be dealing with an ailment known as plantar fasciitis. Knowing some of the potential causes of plantar fasciitis can help you to spot warning signs before it becomes a tremendous problem for your elderly family member.
Shoes with Bad Support
Shoes with iffy or bad support leave your elderly family member’s feet to their own devices. If she has flat feet or other issues, the lack of support can eventually contribute to developing plantar fasciitis. The best way around this is to ensure that your senior only wears shoes that have really good support systems built into them. She may also need to wear her shoes more than she typically does, since walking around barefooted most of the day can be a contributing factor.
Damage to the Feet
Old injuries or continued injuries to your elderly family member’s feet in the past can contribute to big problems, like plantar fasciitis, now. It’s important for both you and your senior’s doctor to have an idea what types of injuries she’s had in the past so that you know what to watch for in the future. Your elderly family member may also want to see a podiatrist for more specialized help.
Not Warming up Before Exercising
Lots of people who exercise try to skip warming up because it seems like a waste of time. Often they just want to exercise and get it out of the way. But when your senior doesn’t warm up, she can injure herself, including her feet. Warming up allows the muscles in your senior’s feet and legs, as well as the rest of her body, to gradually loosen up and get ready for more strenuous movement.
She’s Got a Little Excess Weight
Carrying a few excess pounds can create strain on your aging adult’s feet that can eventually lead to plantar fasciitis. Eating a healthy diet and exercising regularly are the two biggest solutions that your senior’s doctor is likely to recommend. Dealing with a new way of eating can be difficult for your aging adult, so you might want to help by cooking meals for her or even hiring elder care providers who can handle meal preparation for her. Talk with her doctor about her ideal weight so that she has a goal to work toward.
Work with your senior’s doctor to determine how she can avoid developing plantar fasciitis. Then you and the rest of her care team can help her to stick to the plan.
IF YOU OR AN AGING LOVED ONE ARE CONSIDERING IN-HOME ELDER CARE IN SUMMERLIN, NV, PLEASE CONTACT THE CARING STAFF AT GOLDEN HEART SENIOR CARE. CALL TODAY 702-800-4616.