Personal carers to be trained in podiatry skills

Personal carers to be trained in podiatry skills Aberdeen
Council is training 18 personal carers in basic foot care after a
service-user consultation with NHS Grampian.

Council spokesperson Colin McKenzie said: “The benefit to service
users is that they will be receiving personal care that they may
not have otherwise been able to access,” he said.

The project was decided upon during the summer and the training of
the personal carers, all employees of Aberdeen Council’s Homecare
service, is now under way.

Each of the 18 carers, six in each of the city’s three areas, are
attending three training sessions, three and a half hours long and
led by a qualified podiatrist.

McKenzie said the need for personal carers with podiatry skills was
no greater at Aberdeen than at other councils.

“The service is a direct response to a need identified with our
clients,” he said. “It will improve their quality of life and, it
is hoped, prevent some of them requiring more extensive care from
podiatry later.”

A protocol will be drawn up to offer guidance on how to roll out
the service to clients.