Providing foot care for a patient is an important task of a CNA as it is one of the processes which can prevent infection and other diseases from developing in a patient. The foot is considered to be one of the dirtiest parts of the human body due to its contact with the floor which is one of the most common areas where bacteria and other microorganisms are sometimes left by other people. It is important to provide a regular foot care for a patient in order to maintain their cleanliness as well as to prevent any infection from developing.
The first step is to knock politely on the resident’s door and to greet them. Next, introduce yourself and your purpose of visiting them and explain to the resident the procedures that shall be done for providing foot care. This is to help them be more relaxed and cooperative during the process and also as a sign of respecting their privacy.
When you have done these, proceed to gathering all the materials that you will need for the process by putting them near the bed of the resident. They include a basin of warm water, washcloths, a towel, protective cloth, soap, and lotion.
The next thing is to wash your hands and use the proper protective equipment for the procedure. Get the patient on a comfortable sitting position but avoid having their foot touch the bare floor.
Set the basin on a comfortable position relative to the patient. Use the proper amount of warm temperature for the water and let them check if it is warm enough for them.
Allow the resident to soak their feet on the water for a few minutes then proceed to wash them with a piece of soapy washcloth.
Take the patient’s foot and provide sufficient support for it. Then using a soapy washcloth, clean the patient’s foot from the top to the bottom part and make sure that you clean the area between the toes as well.
After doing that, replace their feet on the warm basin of water to rinse the soap away from their foot. Next, proceed to drying their feet using a clean towel making sure that the top and bottom part of the foot is thoroughly dry as well as in between the toes. Apply some lotion in order to prevent the foot from getting too dry due to the washing procedure.
Remove any excess lotion with a towel and find a smooth and soft pair of socks to fit over the patient’s foot. Makes sure that the feet do not have any excess lotion and that the socks are well smoothed over. Dispose of the non-reusable items in their proper container and put used lines and socks in the hamper. Remove any personal protective equipment and proceed to wash your hands thoroughly. Ask the patient if he is feeling comfortable and then make the necessary adjustments to make them more comfortable and put their call lights beside them before leaving the room.