FOOTCARE specialist Lesley Tanner is passionate about getting the message across about regularly checking your feet.

Not only does she love her job, she also works hard to get the word out that everyone should be looking after their feet – and in particular people living with diabetes.

Now she is celebrating having come runner up at the national FootHealth Practitioner of the year awards for going the extra mile with her patients.

Lesley, who lives in Colchester but practices both there and across the Clacton area, made it to the final two out of thousands of entrants to the competition, run by the SMAE Institute, the longest running independent provider of training in Foot Health in the UK, in Maidenhead.

She explains what made it even more important was the fact patients nominated their own practitioners, for going beyond their call of duty, for the prize.

“Visiting dementia homes and homes of the elderly, to care for their feet is a highly demanding post, not only in a professional capacity but in a caring and loving role too,” says Lesley, who has been a foot health practitioner for the past six years.

“I play Samaritan, listening to family stories and troubles.

“But I also play a nursing role too, putting on surgical stockings and looking after their feet and a caring role because I will make cups of tea, do bits of shopping, picking up prescriptions and generally trying to be a little bit of sunshine to some people who don’t or can’t leave the house for either medical, physical or mental health reasons.

“Going into an elderly person’s home can mean walking into a lonely, quiet environment, especially for those who don’t have family.”

Lesley says although she is primarily there to care for patients’ feet, she feels that she is also often there as a lifeline to the outside world.

She adds: “I am very lucky, I love my job and I love caring for the elderly.

“This award of runner up Practitioner of the year 2015, has made me very proud,” says Lesley, who visits customers in their own homes and also runs a clinic in Kirby Cross for patients able to get out and about.

As a footcare specialist she says the simplest thing anyone can do is maintain their foot health and toenails, particularly if they are living with a condition such as diabetes.

She believes education is the answer and continually works to try and raise awareness over the issue.

Diabetes is one of the leading causes of death in the UK, alongside breast cancer, testicular cancer and ovarian cancer.

Just over three million people are living with the condition, with more than an estimated 600,000 undiagnosed.

The NHS spends 20 per cent of it budget on foot treatment and complications with £300million spent each year alone on managing ulcers causes by diabetes.

“Something simple like keeping toenails short and regularly checked to avoid an in-growing toenail could prevent a foot or leg being amputated.

“Patients with diabetes, if not aware how serious this condition is, should take time to consult a foot health practitioner not just for regular care, but simply a chat if they are unsure of anything at all.

“Education is the key factor here to improve this very serious condition affecting more and more people every day.”

Lesley, who before her career change was a weight loss consultant for many years, says she would urge everybody, not just those with diabetes, to get into the habit of visiting a footcare professional every six weeks to have a foot health check, their toenails cut and hard skin removed.

l Appointments can be made via or help and advice given regarding Foothealth problems to Tendring Foothealth 01255 852594.

TIPS ON KEEPING YOUR FEET HEALTHY 

1. Keep your feet clean and dry. Healthy feet start with good hygiene. Thoroughly clean and scrub your feet with soap and water when you bathe. Afterward, dry them well. Fungal organisms love moisture, so depriving them of any wetness will make it more difficult for them to thrive. 
2. Examine your feet for problems. Perform a foot self-exam once a week when you take a bath or shower. 
3. Cut toenails properly. Cut nails straight across and avoid trimming too close to the skin or drastically rounding the corners of the nails, which can cause painful, ingrown toenails. 
4. Don’t hide ‘ugly’ toenails with polish. A discoloured, thick, cracked, or crumbling nail could signal a nail fungus. Applying nail polish to an infected nail could make the problem worse. 
5. Protect your feet in public areas. Be sure to wear shower shoes at the gym, in locker rooms, and at public pools. 
6. Avoid sharing footwear. 
7. Head off sweaty feet. Your feet have sweat glands galore — 250,000 in each foot! Perspiration creates the perfect environment for bacteria to set up shop. 
8. Choose breathable footwear. To help keep your feet dry and healthy, wear shoes made of leather to allow air to circulate. 
9. Wear shoes that fit properly. Shoes that are too tight can often cause long-term foot problems.
10. Know when to see a doctor. Don’t attempt to self-treat painful foot woes. Any pain, redness, swelling, or discoloration that persists should be checked out by a podiatric physician.
From everydayhealth.com