April 2007 - Health
By Enid Rosenblatt
Like everything else, when you age, your feet change.
Keeping the feet healthy can contribute significantly to a senior's overall well-being, says Dr. Sarita Battish, a podiatrist with offices in Center City and at Nazareth Hospital.
"Your feet change over time," she said. "These changes include atrophy, where the fat pad at the bottom of the foot starts to melt away and the bones become more prominent; thinning of the skin; and poorer circulation.
"What can you do to insure foot health as you age?
Choosing the right shoes is critical, Battish said,
 "Have your feet measured each time you buy new shoes," she advised. "Just because you wore size 8 when you were 16, doesn't mean that you wear it now."
Battish suggests having feet measured at the end of the day, when swelling is at the maximum. Buying "good shoes" does not necessarily mean the most expensive ones. Shoes should be sturdy and have padding. Avoid shoes with pointed toes or very high heels.
Shoes should fit from day one. Don't expect that they will "break in," and if the shoes no longer fit, discard them.
Custom-made shoes are available for people with diabetes and other medical conditions, according to Rick Rosenblum, owner of Advance Medical Equipment, in Philadelphia. "We make a mold of the foot so the shoe fits exactly, helping to prevent development of diabetic ulcers," Rosenblum said.
Custom-made shoes are also available for people who have had polio or wear braces and those with arthritis or bunions or calluses, but Medicare reimbursement is available only for diabetics. Custom-made shoe suppliers, like Rosenblum, typically make house calls to make the mold at no extra cost.
Custom-made shoes "come in many styles and colors," he said. "Today, shoes for people with foot problems are stylish and attractive."
In general, cotton socks are best in both winter and summer, but if your feet are healthy, other types are fine.
What else should you do?
Keep the area between your toes dry. Using alcohol pads can be helpful.
Examine your feet, looking for bumps and swelling not usually there, advises Dr. Battish. If you see anything unusual or notice a corn or callus, it may be time for a visit to your podiatrist.
Persons with diabetes are prone to foot problems, such as loss of feeling in the feet, changes in the foot's shape and foot ulcers or sores that do not heal. To help prevent diabetic complications, the National Institute of Health urges you keep in touch with your doctor; check your feet daily; wash them regularly (in warm, not hot water); keep skin soft and smooth; always wear shoes and socks, even indoors; protect the feet from hot and cold; keep the blood flowing to the feet, and be more active.
Some podiatrists, including Dr. Battish, make house calls for people unable to come to their offices. To be reimbursed by Medicare for the visit, you must be certified by a physician.
|
|
|
More women over 55 are needed for the Sister Study, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences has announced.
Recruitment is continuing until the end of the year for the nation's largest research effort to find the causes of breast cancer. The goal is 50,000 women who have never been diagnosed with breast cancer, but whose sisters had the disease; so far, more than 32,000 have been recruited.
"Doctors know very little about how the environment may affect breast cancer," said Dr. Dale Sandler, chief of the Institute's Epidemiology Branch and principal investigator of the Sister Study. "That's why the Sister Study is so important."
The 10-year observational study begins with questions about diet, jobs, hobbies and things you may have been exposed to. Later, at a time convenient for the participant, a female health technician collects small samples of blood, urine, toenail clippings and house dust.
If you're nonwhite and a sister had breast cancer, your participation is "especially important," Sandler said. "We want to learn more about how to protect your daughters and granddaughters."
Making sense of the regs
Bewildering and frustrating as the American healthcare thicket may be, at least one scholar has undertaken to make sense of it.
Robert I. Field, chair of the Department of Health Policy and Director of the Public Health Program at the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia, has written Health Care Regulation in America: Complexity, Confrontation and Compromise (Oxford University Press, 2007), described as a "guide to the regulatory maze.
Dr. Field, also a senior fellow of the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics at the University of Pennsylvania and member of the Wharton School's adjunct faculty, has published widely on legal and ethical issues in managed care, genetic screening and the health industry.
|
|
|
|
Philadelphia Corporation for Aging (PCA) is teaming up with the Academy of Natural Sciences to offer senior citizens a free outing on Monday, April 30.
The outing, from noon to 3:30, will include a pizza lunch at the Academy, followed by a show featuring PCA's "Butterfly Players." The show will introduce seniors to PCA's services, including its new website. One senior will have an opportunity to win a computer.
Following the program, seniors can tour the Academy, including the new "Butterflies!" exhibit. Pre-registration is required. For free tickets, call 215-765-9000, press one, then dial ext. 5080.
Free admission, including lunch, the show, a tour of "Butterflies!" and the museum, will be provided for 200.
"We are launching our new website with an advertising campaign on NBC-10 that promotes all the things for older Philadelphians to do, and services available to them," said Joan Zaremba, director of marketing and development for PCA. "This special event highlighting the Academy's new permanent exhibit, 'Butterflies!' and introducing our new website is designed to bring that message home."
PCA is offering information about Internet access on its Helpline, at 215-765-9040, Zaremba said. "We hope that by making our website an important resource, we will give seniors a reason to be interested in getting connected."
PCA has compiled information on computer classes available to seniors. Partnering with Wireless Philadelphia and Earthlink, it is offering discounted rates on Internet service. For information: PCA Helpline at 215-765-9040.
|
|
 |
|