IT"S NOT JUST FOOT CARE

When people hear “foot care,” they often think of something simple and routine. What is less recognized is how closely foot health is connected to mobility, walking safely, and a person’s ability to stay in their own home, even when they rely on different levels of support.

In the community, foot care is rarely just foot care.

It is often one of the few regular points of contact an older adult has with the healthcare system. It is where unmet needs become visible, where caregiver strain shows itself, and where the realities of aging at home come into focus.

In community care, feet tell a much bigger story.

An aging population with growing needs

Ontario’s population is aging. More people are living longer with chronic illness, reduced mobility, and health needs that change over time. At the same time, hospital stays are shorter, publicly funded services are more limited, and families are being asked to do more at home.

This creates a growing gap between what people need and what they can access.

Foot care often falls into that gap. It may not always be seen as essential, yet untreated foot issues can quickly lead to falls, wounds, infections, and reduced mobility. For many older adults, discomfort with foot care leads to less movement, less confidence, and more dependence long before a crisis happens.

What prevention actually looks like

In community care, prevention is not obvious. It happens through noticing changes early, making small adjustments, and having conversations that lead to action before something goes wrong.

It is recognizing risk before there is an injury.

It is seeing decline before there is a hospital visit.

It is noticing caregiver strain before it becomes burnout.

This kind of prevention does not stand out, but it is what helps people stay safer at home and reduces the need for urgent care later on.

What nurses see in the home

As a nurse providing community-based foot care, I see more than the task in front of me.

I notice swelling that suggests circulation problems.

Bruising that raises concern about falls or unsafe transfers.

Cold feet, fragile skin, or early signs of infection.

Clients putting off care because they do not qualify for funding.

Caregivers who are showing up every day but are clearly tired.

These are not one-off situations. They are patterns that repeat across homes and communities.

Often, a foot care visit becomes the moment someone finally says,

“I’m not managing the way I used to.”

The shared burden of care

Behind many clients is a caregiver doing their best with limited support.

An aging spouse managing medications, transfers, and daily care while dealing with their own health concerns.

Adult children juggling work, parenting, and care coordination.

Families trying to understand eligibility rules, wait lists, and what help is actually available.

Caregivers are expected to adjust as needs increase, but support does not always increase with them. Burnout is common. So is guilt for feeling overwhelmed, for needing help, or for not knowing what to do next.

In many homes, my visit is not only about foot care. What looks like a routine appointment often reveals bigger issues in the home. Mobility problems, unsafe transfers, pain, and balance concerns tend to build on one another.

Part of my role as a nurse is recognizing when more support is needed and helping families figure out next steps. This often includes referrals to publicly funded services such as physiotherapy, occupational therapy, or nursing support, so caregivers are not trying to manage everything on their own.

These referrals are not about escalation. They are about stabilizing care before something breaks down.

A system supported by people, not just policy

Ontario’s publicly funded healthcare system is built on important principles like access and equity. Those principles matter, and they protect people across all stages of life.

At the same time, healthcare delivery is complex. Care is spread across different settings. Services are time-limited. Transitions between hospital, home, and community are not always smooth. Gaps appear not because the system does not care, but because real lives are complicated.

This is where community-based nurses play a key role.

Nurses working in the community help make the system usable in real homes. We connect services, notice concerns early, support caregivers, and help families move through a system that can be hard to navigate.

Foot care is where decisions made at a system level show up in someone’s living room.

The purpose behind this work

My work is rooted in nurse-led, community-based practice that focuses on safety, dignity, and continuity of care.

Through private in-home nursing services and clinical case management, I support people across the lifespan. This includes seniors, individuals requiring palliative care, children and adults with developmental disabilities, and people living with diabetes and complex foot care needs. Foot health, mobility, and continuity of care are closely connected.

The goal is not to replace publicly funded care, but to support access, continuity, and accountability across home and community settings. Independent nursing practice allows for flexibility, collaboration, and innovation while staying grounded in evidence-informed care and professional standards.

At the centre of this work are clear values.

Respect for each person as an individual.

Dignity in every interaction and every home.

Trust built through safe, competent, and accountable nursing care.

These values guide how care is provided and how relationships with clients, families, caregivers, and colleagues are maintained. They are part of everyday practice.

More than a service

So no, it is not just foot care.

It is about mobility, safety, and staying at home.

It is about supporting caregivers before they reach exhaustion.

It is about nurses helping connect services and reduce gaps in care.

Foot care is not separate from community care. It is often where community care becomes visible.

And in real homes, that work matters.

Insights

This piece reflects insights drawn from DSUPREME®’s community-based nursing practice, grounded in lived experience, collaboration with the publicly funded healthcare system, and the individuals and caregivers it serves.