Specialist Shoes For The Elderly

At Helping Hands, whilst we don’t provide specialist footwear for the elderly, we do recommend it when appropriate. Our carers will always be happy to help you find something that’s right for you.

Getting older can often mean we end up being a bit less steady on our feet, which can lead to a lack of self-confidence and be detrimental to our independence. For the elderly, the risks associated with a fall become much greater – health risks include head injuries, muscle damage and bone fractures – so it’s worth taking all available precautions to minimise the possibility of it happening. One such precaution is to ensure you’re wearing appropriate footwear that gives you the support that you need on a day-to-day basis.

Specialist shoes can serve a number of purposes, and there are an increasing number of specialist shoe options available. You can also add adaptations to your shoes to personalise them to your needs, such as non-slip or non-skid soles to help prevent falls, easy open and close fasteners, wider opening so it’s easy to get feet into shoes, and extra padding for comfort.

For people with limited mobility, putting on shoes and socks isn’t always the easiest process. For some people, simply sitting down will do the job, but for others it isn’t that straightforward. Thankfully, there are a few aids available to help make the process less painstaking and time consuming.

Items such as shoehorns and sock horns are ideal for people who aren’t able to stretch all the way down to their feet, and provide a quick and easy way to put shoes and socks on and take them off.

People with back problems or limited hand dexterity who struggle with tying shoelaces might consider purchasing elastic shoelaces, which transform a lace-up shoe into a slip-on shoe, or a support frame that will temporarily bear their weight.