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Ideas for removing footwear with velcro fasteners please.

B

BuddyB

Member
Messages
15
Type of diabetes
Carer
Hi,

My 86 year old FiL has been T2 diabetic for over 20 years and recently he had his big toe removed because of infection (poor circulation and neuropathy). Before this he had a carer first thing in the morning to bathe his feet and use moisturiser on them and his lower legs. He wears the soft top socks for diabetics and wide shoes that fasten with velcro straps and the carer would put these on for him. At bed time my FiL didn't have a carer visiting because he could remove the shoes and socks himself using his feet (you know, one foot at the back of the other and push to wiggle it off! ).

Now however, the toe amputation means this is not possible and a carer has to visit in the evening as well as first thing in the morning and he's not too happy about it.

He's keeping the sock on the foot with the amputation because it helps keep the dressings on the wound area and also on an long standing ulcer on the same lower leg (also ultimately caused by diabetes). He's still wearing a kind of soft boot with a hard sole that has velcro fasteners, as does the shoe he wears on the good foot. The problem is he can't bend down to undo the velcro himself, he can't reach it.

I just wondered if anyone has any ideas for how he could undo the velcro fasteners himself? I've been racking my brains and searching the Internet for something, but with no joy. Can anyone help please?
 
Funnily enough we were trying his grabber out tonight! . The grabber bit is just not strong enough, but I have found some grabbers that are supposed to be heavy duty - strong enough to pick up a can of beans. I am going to order one for him, but there seems to be a basic design fault that causes the wire to snap that runs from the handle to the grabber. I've got a feeling that if it works, he'd rather keep buying a new one that have a carer visit!

Thank you for replying.
 
He gets those little mail order catalogues selling aids for the elderly and disabled (actually I think he's on the mailing list for every single one! ), so he buys anything he thinks might be useful. Many are not!
 
Ooh that's a good idea, especially if I can get some longer metal one. Might have seen something like that for using on a bbq. Thank you - will be googling for this in the morning!
 
I was given several of these hooks on a 50 cm piece of dowel when I was in hospital last year by occy health. You can pull on the non skid orange slippers, underwear, socks, good for picking up stuff as well.

Magic invention.



Edit: More info.
 
Last edited:
BuddyB said:
Hi,

wide shoes that fasten with velcro straps

a kind of soft boot with a hard sole that has velcro fasteners, as does the shoe he wears on the good foot.

The problem is he can't bend down to undo the velcro himself, he can't reach it.
Click to expand...

Hi @BuddyB

How about an alternative view.?

happy to be blown out of the water, if it just might help someone else.

background is am Just back to walking from a double leg break.
so i see your FiL's reach for independence, clearly.

and i also see why the NHS uses velcro, it's because it's probably cheap, but OMG it's effective.

Arms like popeye after 3 months of popping velcro boot on and off each day..

So velcro is STRONG..and while i hope i am wrong,
i think most normal 'gripper' type things will be too weak, or ineffective.

( obv depending on the strength of the velcro used.)

so my thinking, if the grabbers fail..and i think they will,
a set of plier however, i would say would work 100%.

so workshop tools might be your best choice.
consider glueing some tubing to handles to increase length.

Velcro is picked because it WORKS
and might defeat most Grabbers

Pliers if long enough would work deffo
some plumber type pliers might work, dependent upon FiL Flexibility
https://cdn.aws.toolstation.com/images/141020-UK/800/59245.jpg
.

However, IF that fails..
3 questions.

1. IS the shoes your Fil has expensive..( presume so)
2. Would he be inclined to wear a cheaper type if so ?
3. are they for around the house or does he visit shops etc..(presume not at the moment )

I ask this as my idea perhaps (deffo ) ruins a good pair of shoes BUT maybe gives confidence and independence back

Not things you can readily buy, so stick with me for a minute.

i have a beach type sandals ..
here only as an example
https://ae01.alicdn.com/kf/H2b646cf...-Arch-Support-Sport-Sandals.jpg_Q90.jpg_.webp

that have velcro

i have trainers that have velcro
here for example only
http://images.esellerpro.com/2673/I/445/21/TS1023-2.jpg

and to undo both i would have to have a GOOD grip ON the velcro strap to undo
which i think the Grabber will fail to do repeatedly.. if at all.

However IF you bought such shoes, OR was ok using FiL current shoes.

Might a leather hole Punch, Punched into the straps that require undoing, COULD be used in conjuction with a
metal Hook..(think coat hanger, maybe stronger) that could slip into the hole punched to then LIFT velcro apart..?

EDIT i see where @Riva_Roxaban hook might come in very useful

btw, very nice idea, simple & effective
i just wonder if there may be nowhere to hook into on a velcro shoe strap..?


i understand they may not be the best lookfor a black tie 'do'

but at a reasonable cost IF you find an acceptable fit for him

that MIGHT just give him back his independence until the wound heals enough that the old 'slipping of the shoes, ala 8 year olds"
....come on....we ALL do it, sometimes...

is once more a possibility

summing up.

Plumbers plies offer GREATER grip then any Grabber

failing that Punch a hole in the strap towards end, and use a strip of wire bent over to hook into hole to undo shoes.

heath robinson/blue peter..take your pick.
solutions to problems is the goal

find the objective and over come it.

hope some of my madness helps.
 
Last edited:
jjraak said:
Might a leather hole Punch, Punched into the straps that require undoing, COULD be used in conjuction with a
metal Hook..(think coat hanger, maybe stronger) that could slip into the hole punched to then LIFT velcro apart..?
Click to expand...
This sounds pretty much genius to me!
 
How about a ‘keyring’ through’ the punched hole (may benefit from from an eyelet)
It may benefit the target area for the cup hook in the end of the dowel
The other end of the dowel could have a shoe horn glued and screwed to it which could be used to push down to help remove the shoe and to help as normal when donning the shoe
LenT NZ
 
WOW! I'm blown away by all these great ideas! Thank you all so much. I think the best thing to do now is to show him the ideas and see what he thinks (he's got all his marbles). His shoes are expensive, but that's more to do with being suitable for him rather than a fashion statement! At the moment he has a soft bootee type thing with a hard sole, but he has another more substantial boot he'll move over to when his wound is more healed so he can wear it outside.

I'm very glad I asked now and I do love it when we think out of the box to come up with a workable solution, so again thank you very much for all your help.
 


AHH, brilliant ..bravo.

Puts my thinking outside the box to Shame.
Love it how we "crowd funded" this.

DCUK...Rocks
 
Sorry I know you already have a few options now but here's another thought:
Instead of punching a hole into the shoe strap and putting a keyring through, how about threading a keyring (or similar, depending on the width) onto the velcro strap before doing the strap up, come shoe-removal-time, use something with a hook on to pull the keyring along the velcro - undoing it in the process. So instead of pulling the velcro to open it up, you're kind of breaking the seal. Does that make sense?
Feel free to ignore of course, I might be getting a bit carried away
 
Or feed a bootlace through the new 'eye' and tie a loop that a bigger hook could lock into, OR one of those keyring circles that can be threaded through the 'eye' to meet the same objective. Velcro is strong against broadside attack but peels like a banana if unzipped from one end.
 
If the punched hole idea seems most appropriate you can purchase inexpensive eyelet kits from any haberdashery/Amazon which come with a setting tool. Might also be called grommets. Get the sort that come in two pieces rather than just spread out when whacked with a hammer. And practice on some old fabric first because they are fraught with peril....

Like this... They come in different diameters and colours

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hemline-H4...61893&sprefix=hemline+grommets,aps,168&sr=8-3
 
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