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88 years old and toenails are in real need of care.

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I would say that much here depends upon the feet and nails of the senior. Many times nail thicken with a surplus of keratin and some folks even get fungal infections of the nails. They are best trimmed in a podiatrist office and Medicare does pay for this. There is also the fact that circulation as we age isn't good, which hinders healing. Some people have diabetes, making work on nails not only iffy, but DANGEROUS.

Consider seeing a podiatrist and getting their advice. Best of luck.
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casole Sep 4, 2024
I should have read your answer first Alva!
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Podiatrist. I would not go for a normal pedicure if her feet are in bad shape. She could have fungus, ingrown nails, nails too thick to cut without proper tools. Take her to a podiatrist or make sure its a medical pedicure with people trained for it. It would be really rude I think to present someone who hasn't had their feet taken care of in years for a "spa" pedicure and dangerous for the senior who could get cut, could get an infection etc.
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Medicare pays for a podiatrist to trim nails every 6 or 8 weeks , I forget exactly the time frame .
Anyway , some podiatrists will come to the home if you can’t get the elder to the office .

If your elder is in a facility , podiatrist comes there and you can ask the nurse to put your elder on the list to be seen regularly for nail trimmings as allowed per Medicare schedule .
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I agree with those who responded that it depends on the condition of their feet and nails and if they have health issues like diabetes that would necessitate them seeing an actual podiatrist.

That being said, my then 100-yr old Aunt (with dementia but no other health problems) could still get up into a pedicure chair at the salon with a little help and enjoyed the pampering. We always took her to the same salon and asked for the same nail tech.
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BurntCaregiver Sep 5, 2024
@Geaton

I would not allow a nail tech in the nail salon to cut a 100 year old's toenails. Pampering her and maybe painting her nails is fine, but not doing actual clipping and cutting.
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Take her to the many nail salons in your area and let her be spoiled with a nice pedicure.
I've seen many an older man or woman with thick unruly(I'm trying to be polite)nails at the many nail salons I've gone to over the years getting their nails taken care of. They are used to dealing with these issues.
Otherwise like waytomisery said below, you can take her to a podiatrist, though I'm sure your loved one would much rather get a nice pedicure and leg massage at the salon, then just sit in a doctors office. Well at least that would be my choice.
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Hothouseflower Sep 4, 2024
I brought my mother for a pedicure regularly, we went together and it was a nice outing for us. Unfortunately we had to stop it when she could no longer get into the salon chair. My parents both then went to a podiatrist for a time. Eventually when they were housebound our caregivers took care of their nails.
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A podiatrist is really necessary for older people.

When mom started going, she was like I'm sorry you have another appointment to go to.

That's one appointment I never complained about, even in my head, because I really know how important they are.
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BurntCaregiver Sep 5, 2024
I know such a good one who goes everywhere. I recommend her to my homecare clients who need toenail and foot care. She's gotten a lot of business from me over the years.

A lot of them make housecalls.
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There is also the American foot care nurses association
https://www.afcna.org/FindFootCareNurse
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You need a podiatrist for this. Look online for one in your area that makes housecalls. A lot of them do because their patients are usually old or handicapped and they know these people may have a hard time getting to an appointment. That's where their money is in housecalls.

If there aren't any in your area, is there a senior center? Senior centers usually offer footcare clinics with a podiatrist several times a year.
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Contact your local senior center to see if they have a visiting nurse/footcare "day" every month (in my area appointments are required), or contact your local Area Agency on Aging for resources.
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A nail salon worked great for my dad. He only paid for the full treatment a few times as he was cheap 🤣 He used the same lady there each time to trim his nails, she was careful, skilled, and did a great job. We wouldn’t have gone this route if there was diabetes or if he couldn’t get in the chairs there.
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