Fall Prevention Begins at the Feet: How Sole Renewal Supports Kentucky Assisted Living Communities

By Nurse Tricia Blair, RN | Sole Renewal RN Foot Care

It may begin with something easy to overlook: a tender corn, an overgrown toenail, swelling that makes a favorite shoe too tight, or foot pain that causes a resident to change the way they walk.

For an older adult, these concerns are more than minor inconveniences. When walking becomes uncomfortable, a resident may begin shuffling, avoiding activity, or choosing loose-fitting footwear that feels easier to wear but provides less stability. Over time, discomfort can affect mobility, confidence, social participation, and independence.

This is why an on-site, nurse-led routine foot care clinic can be such a valuable addition to an assisted living community. Sole Renewal RN Foot Care was created to bring compassionate, professional foot care directly to seniors where they live. For assisted living facilities throughout Kentucky, Sole Renewal offers a convenient resource that supports residents while easing some of the coordination burden carried by staff.

The Connection Between Foot Health and Falls

Falls rarely have a single cause. Medication effects, vision changes, muscle weakness, environmental hazards, balance difficulties, and chronic health conditions may all contribute. Foot pain, foot deformities, reduced sensation, and poorly fitting footwear can also become important pieces of the fall-risk puzzle.

A systematic review and meta-analysis found that older adults who experienced falls were nearly twice as likely to have foot pain. Bunions, lesser-toe deformities, reduced ankle movement, decreased toe strength, impaired sensation, and increased pressure beneath the feet were also associated with falls. The researchers concluded that evaluating foot problems should be a routine part of fall-risk assessment and prevention. (Menz, Auhl, and Spink, 2018)

Clinical trials provide additional support for including foot care in a broader fall-prevention strategy. In a randomized controlled trial involving 305 older adults with disabling foot pain, participants who received routine podiatry care combined with foot and ankle exercises, footwear advice, orthoses, and fall-prevention education experienced a 36% reduction in their rate of falls compared with those receiving routine podiatry care alone. (Spink et al., 2011)

The larger REFORM trial studied 1,010 older adults at increased risk of falling. Its multifaceted podiatry program produced a 12% reduction in the overall fall rate, although that primary result was not statistically significant. Still, fewer participants in the intervention group experienced at least one fall, and the percentage reporting two or more falls was significantly lower—27.6% compared with 34.6% in the usual-care group. (Cockayne et al., 2017)

A smaller pilot study conducted in six care homes also demonstrated that a structured foot-care and fall-prevention program could be delivered successfully in a residential setting. The study was too small to determine effectiveness, but it established feasibility and found a slightly lower fall rate in the intervention group. (Wylie et al., 2017)

These studies evaluated multifaceted podiatry programs rather than nurse-led clinics, and they do not show that nail care alone prevents falls. What they do demonstrate is that foot assessment, routine care, footwear evaluation, education, appropriate exercises, and timely referral can be meaningful parts of a comprehensive fall-prevention plan.

Nurse-Led Foot Care Includes More Than Nail Care

Routine nurse-led foot care is not simply a matter of trimming toenails. Sole Renewal provides a comprehensive service that considers the resident’s overall foot health and the factors that may affect comfort, mobility, and safety.

Services may include:

• Foot assessment: The nurse assesses the skin, nails, foot structure, swelling, pressure areas, sensation, and other changes that may affect comfort or mobility. Concerns requiring additional evaluation can be referred to the resident’s primary care provider, podiatrist, or another appropriate specialist.

• Shoe assessment: Shoes are evaluated for fit, condition, stability, support, fastening, tread, and possible areas of rubbing or pressure. Worn, loose, narrow, or poorly secured shoes may affect the way a resident stands and walks.

• Shoe size assessment: Feet can change in both length and width with age. Swelling, arthritis, bunions, toe deformities, and other conditions may also change how shoes fit. Assessing shoe size helps residents and families make better-informed footwear choices instead of relying on a size that may have been worn for many years.

• Resident and family education: Education may include guidance on daily foot checks, skin care, footwear selection, warning signs to report, and when to seek medical attention. Information is adapted to the resident’s individual needs and abilities.

Together, these services create a more complete picture of the resident’s foot health and help identify concerns before they become more painful or begin interfering with safe mobility.

Improving Comfort, Mobility, and Quality of Life

An on-site Sole Renewal clinic makes routine care easier to access. Residents do not have to arrange transportation, leave familiar surroundings, or spend several hours traveling to and waiting for an outside appointment.

A qualified foot care nurse can provide appropriate routine nail and skin care within the nurse’s scope of practice while also assessing foot health, shoe condition, and shoe size. This is especially helpful for residents who can no longer see, reach, or safely care for their own feet.

Consistent care can help address discomfort before it begins interfering with walking. When residents are more comfortable on their feet and have properly fitting shoes, they may feel more confident walking to meals, participating in activities, visiting with friends, and maintaining the daily routines that help them remain independent.

There is also dignity in receiving unrushed, respectful care. Asking for help with foot care should never feel embarrassing. Sole Renewal provides a private, supportive setting where concerns can be addressed with compassion.

Supporting the Facility’s Fall-Prevention Efforts

A Sole Renewal clinic creates another opportunity to notice concerns that might otherwise go unrecognized, including:

• Foot pain that changes a resident’s gait

• Thick or overgrown nails that press against footwear

• Redness, skin breakdown, swelling, or pressure areas

• Decreased sensation or other concerning changes

• Shoes that are loose, worn, unstable, or poorly fitted

• Shoes that are no longer the correct length or width

• New concerns that warrant medical or podiatric referral

Routine foot care should not replace the facility’s established fall-prevention program. Instead, it adds another layer of assessment, observation, education, and early referral.

Reducing the Burden on Facility Staff

Assisted living staff already balance medication assistance, personal care, documentation, family communication, activities, appointments, and unexpected resident needs. Coordinating outside foot-care visits can add transportation arrangements, appointment tracking, paperwork, and follow-up to an already demanding workload.

Sole Renewal brings the service directly to residents. Appointments can be organized into a predictable on-site clinic schedule, reducing the need for separate transportation and multiple outside appointments. Nurse Tricia can perform foot, shoe, and shoe size assessments; provide individualized education; document relevant concerns; and recommend appropriate follow-up.

This service does not replace the important observations made by facility staff. Instead, it gives them a qualified clinical partner who can help address routine concerns and recognize when a resident needs a higher level of care.

A Transparent Private-Pay Model With Limited Staff Responsibility

Sole Renewal is designed to provide a valuable resident service without creating another complicated administrative program for the facility.

The service uses a simple private-pay model with transparent pricing and no surprise fees. Sole Renewal does not accept insurance. Payment is collected directly from the participant or responsible party at the time of service. The facility is not responsible for collecting payments, processing insurance claims, obtaining insurance authorization, submitting reimbursement paperwork, or following up with an insurance company.

Sole Renewal also manages the primary communication associated with the foot care service. This may include:

• Providing promotional materials and clear enrollment instructions

• Communicating directly with residents or their responsible parties

• Collecting the information and forms needed for the appointment

• Sending appointment reminders

• Answering routine questions about services and pricing

• Finalizing the clinic appointment list

• Collecting payment at the time of service

• Communicating recommended follow-up to the resident or responsible party

The facility’s role is limited to the coordination needed to host a safe and orderly clinic. This generally includes identifying a suitable clinic space, appointing a primary facility contact, and providing only the minimum information necessary for safe coordination.

Sole Renewal finalizes the appointment list and works directly with participating residents or their responsible parties. Facility staff are not expected to manage individual scheduling, repeatedly remind residents about appointments, explain service charges, collect payments, or handle routine follow-up communication on Sole Renewal’s behalf.

This approach allows assisted living communities to offer a meaningful wellness service without placing a significant new administrative burden on nursing, wellness, or activities staff.

Why Sole Renewal Is the Resource of Choice

Sole Renewal RN Foot Care combines nursing knowledge, compassionate service, transparent pricing, and the convenience of mobile care. Every clinic is designed with the needs of seniors and assisted living communities in mind.

Facilities choosing Sole Renewal receive:

• Professional foot care led by a Registered Nurse

• Convenient on-site service for residents

• Comprehensive foot, shoe, and shoe size assessments

• Individualized education for residents and families

• Early recognition of concerns requiring medical or podiatric referral

• A simple private-pay model with transparent pricing

• Direct communication with participants and responsible parties

• Organized scheduling with limited staff involvement

• No facility responsibility for insurance claims or payment collection

• Respectful, senior-centered care that supports comfort and dignity

For Kentucky assisted living communities, Sole Renewal offers more than a routine service. It provides a dependable foot-care partnership focused on helping residents remain comfortable, mobile, and as independent as possible—without adding unnecessary work for facility staff.

Bring Sole Renewal to Your Community

Healthy feet support more than walking. They support confidence, activity, social connection, dignity, and independence.

If you manage, own, or support an assisted living facility in Kentucky, contact Sole Renewal to discuss bringing an on-site, nurse-led routine foot care clinic to your residents.

Sole Renewal RN Foot Care
Nurse Tricia Blair, RN
Phone: (270) 805-7397
Email: [email protected]
Website: sole-renewal.com

Partner with Sole Renewal and give your residents convenient access to compassionate, professional foot care—one steady step at a time.