6 Significant Senior Statistics...

Are you one of the 54+ million individuals aged 65 or older who lack foot care services in the US? You have insurance, but routine footcare is not a covered benefit. You may be unable to perform your own footcare. Perhaps you have been told it is not safe to care for your own feet. Lastly, some doctors are telling you that nail salons are scary and dangerous. What are you supposed to do?

We have established the fact that there are inadequate senior footcare services. This is a major problem. Let's take a look at just how many seniors are being affected.

1. Approximately 30% of seniors have diabetes (at-risk feet). This equals 16.2 million seniors in the US! Roughly 70% develop peripheral neuropathy or poor sensation to their feet. Worse, 90% with poor sensation to their feet have no idea.

2. Approximately 20% of seniors have peripheral arterial disease (PAD) or poor blood flow (seriously at-risk feet). This represents 10.8 million seniors in the US. Even worse, 50% of people with PAD do not have symptoms which means they probably have no idea they have poor blood flow.

3. Approximately 30% of seniors have a vision reducing eye disease (can't see their feet). This represents 16.2 million seniors. This could be anything from diabetic retinopathy, age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma or cataracts.

4. Approximately 50% of seniors have been diagnosed with arthritis (lack the mobility to care for their feet). This includes 27 million seniors. Did you know that osteoarthritis is the most common and disabling arthritis among seniors?

5. Approximately 30% of seniors are obese (can't reach their feet). This includes 16.2 million seniors in the US. A senior with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or greater makes foot care really difficult.

6. Approximately 75% of seniors suffer from dry skin or Xerosis with constant itch. This represents 40.5 million seniors. Skincare is an essential part of a seniors footcare needs, but it is never addressed!