When you can’t get out, we’ll come to you!

By Hema Iyavoo

It is essential that we all take good care of our feet in later life. Good foot care lowers our risks of falls and reduces our risks of infection, as well as relieving pain. At Dulwich Podiatry, we can help older people who are unable to look after their feet even if they are unable to physically attend the practice. We can provide all levels of footcare from basic nail care to complex wound care and can offer general guidance on how to take the best of care of your feet.

For those who are genuinely housebound and unable to come to the into the clinic due to ill health or mobility issues, we can carry out routine podiatric treatment in the comfort of your own home. It is of vital importance that people feel comfortable and trusting of people who come into their home and at Dulwich Podiatry we understand and respect this.

Everything needed to provide the effective and thorough podiatry treatment you need is brought to you. An appointment time is given to you the week before, so you know when to expect us without having to wait around all day. We can also provide the service to nursing and care homes where there is multiple occupancy, to provide quality treatment for patients.

The initial home consultation will follow the same treatment pathway as a normal podiatry appointment in the clinic.

This will include:
– An initial assessment and diagnosis of your foot condition
– Discussion of treatment options
– Beginning of the treatment plan

The initial appointment may take up to 45 minutes with follow up appointments taking 30 minutes.

Podiatrists can treat a wide range of conditions such as corns, calluses, verrucae, fungal infections, ingrown toenails and foot injuries. We can also help people with diabetes and arthritis and other conditions that affect the feet. We use a variety of techniques to diagnose and treat foot problems, including taking a full medical history and performing a physical examination of the foot and lower limb. Many of our patients require a visit at due to lack of mobility and often they are unable to reach their own feet to tend to them themselves. Therefore one of the most common treatments provided by a podiatrist on a home visit is nail care. This can involve trimming and shaping of the nails, thinning down thickened nail plates, removing any built-up calluses and treat any ingrowing toenails.

Podiatrists may also prescribe specific creams or medical devices to improve the skin and nails, help alleviate pain or reduce swelling. Another important area of podiatry is the prevention of foot problems. Podiatrists can provide advice on proper footcare and footwear as well as exercises to help improve foot strength and flexibility and helping mobility and keeping you pain free. Comfortable feet can improve the quality of your life immeasurably.
Please contact us at Dulwich Podiatry to arrange your home visit.