7 * WHAT DO PATIENTS WEAR ON THEIR FEET? A SERVICE EVALUATION OF FOOTWEAR IN ELDERLY PATIENTS (STEP)

Abstract

Background/Aims: Appropriate footwear is regarded as an importantcomponent of falls prevention in older people. Scant data existsregarding the types of footwear older patients wear in hospital, whichmay hinder the development of future interventions in this high-riskfall group. To address this, we conducted a service evaluation toexamine and describe the style and quality of footwear worn by olderpatients in hospital.Methods: The footwear of older patients admitted to an acute NHS trustin England was assessed using the Footwear Assessment Tool. Patientswere interviewed about their footwear choices.Results: A total of 730 pairs of footwear from 675 patients wereassessed. The most common types of footwear worn were slippers (46%)and gripper socks (37%). Much of the footwear had a good fit, but over50% lacked adequate structure, stability and support, more than 60%had no cushioning and 60% had no fixation. Approximately 60% offootwear was more than 12 months old, with signs of moderate to excesswear. Patients valued comfort and the familiarity of their own footwear.Conclusions: This service evaluation provides new information onfootwear worn by older inpatients in hospital. Many patients are wearingfootwear with insufficient structure to promote optimal stability orgait. Providing safe footwear that is suitable for use in hospital ispotentially a low-technology and resource-efficient way to promotesafety in older patients.