1. IMPORTANCE OF FOOT HEALTH IN OLDER PEOPLE – A REVIEW OF LITERATURE IFA 11th Global Conference on Aging 28.5.-1.6.2012, Prague, Czech Rebublic

2. AUTHORS Minna Stolt, MNSc, Podiatrist, PhD candidate, Finnish Doctoral Programme in Nursing Science, Department of Nursing Science, University of Turku, Finland, email: minna.stolt@utu.fiminna.stolt@utu.fi Riitta Suhonen, PhD, RN, Professor, Department of Nursing Science, University of Turku, Finland Matti Viitanen, PhD, MD, Professor, University of Turku, Finland Päivi Voutilainen, PhD, RN, Adjunct Professor, Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, Finland Helena Leino-Kilpi, PhD, RN, Professor, Department of Nursing Science, University of Turku and Nurse manager, The Hospital District of Southwest Finland, Finland

3. 14.9.2015 BACKGROUND Foot health is essential for older persons in maintaining functional ability and in managing daily activities. Despite these foot problems are highly prevalent in older people. Foot problems are often considered as a part of ageing process and not as a health problems needing professional care.

4. AIM to highlight the importance of foot health in older people without long- term foot-related diseases and consequences of foot problems for older people based on earlier literature

5. SEARCH Medline and Cinahl databases to identify articles focusing on foot problems and their influence on wellbeing in general. Search terms were foot, problem, disorder, complaint, condition, disease Limits: English language, aged 65 and over years and timeframe 2001-2011.

6. INCLUSION AND EXCLUSION CRITERIA Inclusion criteria: Empirical articles Focus on older people without foot-related diseases Exclusion criteria: Articles concerning diabetes and surgery

7. SELECTION PROCESS OF THE ARTICLES After two stage selection process 10 articles were identified for the content analysis.

8. RESULTS Foot problems were reported to cause: Disability poorer functional status -> leading to increased risk of falls and impaired functional ability and balance.

9. RESULTS CONT. Foot problems affect negatively: quality of life and in overall health and wellbeing. Different foot problems increased the disabling foot pain especially in the area of toes.

10. CONCLUSION Different foot problems hamper many ways older person’s safe living. Due to growing number of older people in the future, careful attention needs to be paid to the promotion of foot health and to prevention of foot problems. Regular foot health assessment Untreated foot problems can affect older person’s general wellbeing and functional ability.

11. Thank you for your attention! minna.stolt@utu.fi