Submitted Photo Randall Hanson posed for a photo in his clinic where he has done foot care for seniors.

Foot care is something that can be easily overlooked, but it is vital for the elderly. Randall Hanson from Minot stresses the importance of foot care and makes sure that around 300 elderly clients aged 60 and older have trimmed nails and healthy feet.

Hanson worked for many years in the intensive care unit at Trinity Hospital before retiring in 2004. Then three years later in October, he started his foot care business after training with a podiatrist for a year. He is now a registered nurse (RN) and has contracts with assisted living and memory care facilities to care for the residents. House visits are also on his schedule on independent contracts for those who do not have easy access to transportation or have difficulty moving around.

A person’s nails can cause many other problems if they are not properly maintained. Hanson described one gentleman who had such a bad ingrown toenail that it caused him immense pain. He couldn’t walk normally and had a limp. Limping for an extended period of time put his spine out of alignment, as well.

Hanson referred the gentleman to a podiatrist to have the ingrown toenail removed and he was back to walking normal again, his pain went away and he realigned his spine by seeing a chiropractor.

To prevent that sort of situation, Hanson carefully trims and files their nails down by hand, making sure that he also smooths out any sharp edges. Nails catching on the inside of their socks can make things uncomfortable and possibly cause pain. If there are any tight or sharp corners, he trims and files them. He gets one of his good quality files from Essex, England, and the other from St. Paul, Minn.

He does not use any electric tools. Using electric tools can get hot on the person’s foot and sanding down too far on a person’s foot that has diabetes can cause complications that he is not equipped to handle.

When he begins with a client, he soaks their feet in warm water mixed with an ounce of Hibiclens scrub for 10 minutes. “It softens the nails and cleans the feet so that the germs are killed,” he said. He takes care of their nails and files down corns and calluses so they are flat. However, if they have corns or calluses that need to be cut down using a blade, he refers the client to a podiatrist so they can see someone who has expertise in that area. The same goes for clients that have red and swollen toes that look like they could be infected, and for clients with plantar warts that need to be removed. “A person’s got to be very careful with the rules of how far you can go as an RN, even with specialty training,” he explained. “There’s only a certain amount you can do.”

About half of his clients are diabetic, so they need foot care at least once a month. By seeing them every month or every other month, Hanson “reduces the possiblility of amputation by 85 percent.”

There are many important reasons why foot care for people with diabetes is crucial. Diabetes can sometimes cause nerve damage and the individual may not have all of the feeling in their feet. That would make it difficult for them to know if there was something sharp in their shoe or even if they stepped on a shard of glass. The lack of bloodflow to the feet would make it a long and risk-filled recovery. The wound wouldn’t heal as quickly and that poses a higher risk of infection, in turn increasing the possibility of limb amputation.

By helping his clients, Hanson is helping them stay healthy and keep their limbs.

If footcare is needed, patients must be 60 years old or older. Appointments can be made with Hanson by calling Minot Commission on Aging at 701-852-0561.