What do patients wear on their feet? A service evaluation of footwear in elderly patients.

Background/Aims: Appropriate footwear is regarded as an important component of falls prevention in older people. Scant data exists regarding the types of footwear older patients wear in hospital, which may hinder the development of future interventions in this high-risk fall group. To address this, we conducted a service evaluation to examine and describe the style and quality of footwear worn by older patients in hospital. Methods: The footwear of older patients admitted to an acute NHS trust in England was assessed using the Footwear Assessment Tool. Patients were interviewed about their footwear choices. Results: A total of 730 pairs of footwear from 675 patients were assessed. The most common types of footwear worn were slippers (46%) and gripper socks (37%). Much of the footwear had a good fit, but over 50% lacked adequate structure, stability and support, more than 60% had no cushioning and 60% had no fixation. Approximately 60% of footwear was more than 12 months old, with signs of moderate to excess wear. Patients valued comfort and the familiarity of their own footwear. Conclusions: This service evaluation provides new information on footwear worn by older inpatients in hospital. Many patients are wearing footwear with insufficient structure to promote optimal stability or gait. Providing safe footwear that is suitable for use in hospital is potentially a low-technology and resource-efficient way to promote safety in older patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]