Helping People Get Back On Their Feet ; Rebecca Easton, Podiatrist My Day: Rebecca Easton, Podiatrist From Nhs Liverpool Community Health, Based at Latham Court with the Out of Hospital Service. This Is Her Day ...

Summary

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8.30am: By this time I'm usually at my computer in the office at Latham Court, Laurel Road, in Kensington, checking emails and planning my day. As we work in the community we carry out home visits throughout each day, so I check my diary and structure my day around patient visits and any meetings I need to attend. The team get together for our weekly meeting to make sure we're all up to speed with each other's caseload and to tackle any issues which might have emerged during the week. 9.45 am: It's time to head to the first of my morning visits. Our team's objective is to get people out of hospital or a bed-based facility at the earliest opportunity and rehabilitate them at home. We also assist in the rehab of patients who are already at home and in a crisis situation, with the aim of preventing hospital admission. An integral part of the rehab and regaining of independence is improving the patient's gait and mobility. I become involved if there are difficulties with this, and I'm also involved if they have footwear issues, require foot wound care, or need assistance with general foot health.

10am: I arrive in Childwall at the home of my first client of the day, an elderly lady. As it's the first time I've seen her, I carry out a podiatry assessment, checking her feet, footwear and assessing her standing and walking. This lady has recently come out of hospital after undergoing hip surgery. A common problem following an operation of this kind is being left with a leg length difference which may require a raised shoe. This patient is found to have a leg length difference and also swollen legs; I refer the patient to the hospital orthotist for an assessment and possible provision of insoles orthopaedic footwear to address the leg length difference. 11.30 am: My next appointment is in Toxteth. This is an elderly patient who is suffering from a pressure ulcer to his foot. In this case the district nurses are involved and are managing the patient's wound, so I review the progress of the wound and enquire about any issues the patient may have with their rehab programme. For patients where there is no nurse involvement, I would carry out a wound assessment, treat and dress the wound and then possibly refer to the district nurse team for ongoing treatment if required. 12.30pm: Back at the office, I complete paperwork and grab some lunch.

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Helping People Get Back On Their Feet ; Rebecca Easton, Podiatrist My Day: Rebecca Easton, Podiatrist From Nhs Liverpool Community Health, Based at Latham Court with the Out of Hospital Service. This Is Her Day ...

1pm: We're currently in the process of implementing a new system to help with proc...

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