ABSTRACT
Foot problems are a common accompaniment of advancing age, and are associated with impaired mobility, limited independence, and diminished quality of life. Despite the significant impact that foot problems have on the lives of older people, these problems can easily be overlooked by medical and nursing staff. Because older people themselves often consider foot pain to be an unavoidable consequence of ageing (Williamson, Stokoe & Gray 1964), they might not report foot problems when providing their medical history. In addition, many nurses do not consider themselves to be sufficiently knowledgeable about foot problems to initiate preventative treatment (Pierson 1991; Love 1995). Many older people thus needlessly endure pain and disability—despite the fact that many foot ailments can be prevented or managed with conservative interventions.
