Development of a toenail care assessment tool for elderly people in nursing homes.

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K17643
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 58080:Gerontological nursing and community health nursing-related
• Research Institution: Kawasaki City College of Nursing. (2020-2022); Fukui Prefectural University (2018-2019)
• Principal Investigator: SATO Aya 川崎市立看護短期大学, その他部局等, 教授 (20778451)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 足爪 / 足趾 / フットケア / 爪ケア / 高齢者

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The toenails of elderly people with a low degree of independence are prone to deformity and are at risk of damage due to elongated toenails, and care tends to be avoided because of the risk of nail damage and other trauma that can occur during toenail care.Therefore, the morphological characteristics of the toenails, toenails and feet of elderly people with low independence in daily living were investigated in an elderly care facility. The toenails, toenails and feet of 25 subjects (median age 90.5 years) were observed. In older people with low independence in daily living, the toenails of the first toe were noticeably thickened, and the toenails of the second to fourth toes had a C-shaped deformation or the direction of nail growth was upward rather than forward. It was also inferred that there was a relationship between toenail shape and deformity of the foot and toes. However, no assessment tool for toenail care has yet been developed.

Free Research Field

高齢者看護

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

フレイル予防、介護予防の観点から、高齢者が自分の足で歩行するために足の機能が維持されていることが重要である。足の機能としても下肢の筋力だけでなく、足趾および足爪の果たす役割は大きい。しかしながら、加齢に伴う変化および自立度の低下等により足爪が変形してくると、自分では爪切りできず、さらに通常の爪切りではお手入れさえできない。そのため、どのような爪なら安全に爪切りできるのか、あるいは専門家に委ねないといけないのかを明らかにすることはとても重要である。そのため、この研究を継続して取り組み、自立して歩くための足の維持のために足爪ケアに注目できるようにしてく必要がある。