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?
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?