Age Concern to the rescue

Members do not see these Ads. Sign Up.

netizens

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/north_yorkshire/8387424.stm

Off to Australia soon

:santa:toeslayer

 

Wow it takes two non pods to cut simple nails.:dizzy:

That is where i went wrong when doing this in NHS a few years ago.

Ho Hum.

Must save my money for me hairdresser each week.

David

still cynical over this matter after 23 years.

This is what the Private Practitioner is there for. Also tt in home is usually pretty miserable compared to a fully equipped clinic, especially for the clinician:deadhorse:

 

This article is so ridiculous it's difficult to even know where to start!

Except to say, Age Concern, where is the demonstrable link between toenails being long and falls or, as they put it, cutting people's toenails will prevent hospital admissions!

It's amazing how obsessed people who are not involved in cutting toenails and will never have to perform such as task professionally for someone else put so much emphasis on the potential dangers of not doing it!

Specifically, when I worked in acute Diabetes, I was eternally involved in conversations and education about the fact that cutting the toenails of Diabetics does precisely nothing to prevent acute complications in the Diabetic foot! During the 3 years I worked solely in this area, I did not come across a single patient that had an acute problem as a result of their nails or they way they cut them!

And another incident I was involved in where a patient was referred to me from the falls prevention team because they had decided that her bunions where putting her at risk from a fall and, so, could she please have surgery on them.....she was in her 90s!

I'm all for nail cutting services, but, please, less of the rubbish about hospital admissions!

 

I am wondering if the young ladies in the picture are actually pods? They certainly aren't in uniform! In fact it isn't clear from the article who, exactly, will be doing this "toe-nail clipping". However, I am pleased to note that they seem to be using bagged instruments.

The position of the person doing the "toe-nail clipping" is cause for concern. I wonder how long her back will last out?

For "Age Concern" read "business" - it seems there is a fee involved but what it is isn't specified.

Dido

 

Nice to see the Society fighting the corner for private practice - as usual.

 

Hi Nicpod1

I'm not sure its quite as simple as you suggest. There is mounting evidence for the role of foot problems (including HAV) as a contributing factor for falls. I'm not saying that foot problems are the ONLY cause; the causes are multi-factorial, but foot issues need addressing. Here is a small sample of the research which identifies a link:

http://www.japmaonline.org/cgi/content/abstract/91/5/222
http://biomed.gerontologyjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/61/8/866
http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/bsc/jgs/2001/00000049/00000012/art00011

Having said that, a 90 year old probably isn't the ideal candidate for an HAV surgery.

 

I am sure the evidence that long toenails are a major contributory factor in falls has yet to be established- some worthy soul will probably do a thesis on it and astound us all!

However in the meantime, why is the private pod ruled out of the equation? Many of us do nail cutting, so why would a GP refer outside of the profession? Do I tell my patients to go and see a witch doctor when they have medical problems? No, I keep it professional however minor the problem!

The situation goes from bad to worse- as Dido says, AC is a business and quite often charge as much for the service as a Pod would who is offering a nail cutting service.

Cornmerchant

 

Hi Gavin,

Yes, I totally agree that there is evidence linking foot problems to falls, that is not the point! The point is that they are suggesting that having long toenails causes hospital admissions and, so, how do we address this? Does everyone now get their nails cut for them? Who's funding this?

It is also the context - I have a patient who has had falls and is increasingly at risk from further falls and have asked for her to be referred to the Falls Prevention Team but the GP won't refer.........but maybe I should just keep cutting her toenails, as that's bound to be having more of an affect on her risk of falling than her lack of confidence after losing her husband, her acute kyphotic posture and her deteriorating lower limb neuromuscular control......by the way....she has HAV and foot orthoses, but she still fell over, depiste not having long nails!

Are we really saying that long toenails (not painful ones) are a cause of falls? Is this how we are representing our profession now?

Come on! Please! Let's fpcus on pain, pathology, structure and function and not long toenails!

 

Dear Nicpod 1

Trouble is is that nail cutting is all that the media finds newsworthy.:deadhorse:

Hence the profession of Podiatry is doomed until the media realise that we do more than this.

In a recent Sydney Fashionista magazine was an article on the Essential Pedicure:

Miss Frou Frou charges $75.00

Andrea Connoly Hair charges : $55.00

Missy's Place charges : $110.00

Joss Beauty Room charges : $70.00

Stone Soul charges : $95.00

The above are describes as being essential for an enriched life.

Seems the universities are failing us in our education in our profession.:butcher:

Medicare schedule fee is $59.95 for a podiatry appt here in Sydney.

Ho Hum

An Estate Agent i will go.:drinks

regards David