Foot Care
"People come at the late stages when they should have had foot care a long time ago."
Did you know Foot Care gives early detection of possible future illness.
Lisa Demas, CFNHM, RN,BN
Foot Care Regional Coordinator
Community Health
Message from Lisa...Prevention is key. It is my motto.
What can the Foot Care Department do for you?
Foot care is a program developed just recently in the past year. It was developed to get Foot Care within the Island Lake region.
It was promoted to prevent foot amputations and foot ulcers that have a vast impact on the health care system. This happens with Diabetes complications, micro and vascular complications. Because diabetes is on the rise, it is very prevalent in our communities. Due to these complications people were losing limbs and having ulcers.
We contract foot care nurses and we have one live-in Foot Care Nurse, Carla Flett in St. Theresa Point, that lives in the community, full time.
They do basic foot care assessments, teaching, skin and nail care and they do referrals to service providers whether that be Doctors, Podiatrists. They can do referrals to foot ware like Canadian Footwear and they also can refer to other programs like Home Care for dressing changes.
What happens in a typical foot care case
A client would come in. Sometimes they just drop in sometimes there are appointments made. They will ask to see the Foot Care Nurse. The Foot Care Nurse would do a basic assessment from the leg down. Have a thorough look between the toes. Make an assessment of what that client may need whether it stems from just dry skin to ingrown toe nails, fungal nails.
They would just make that judgement. Look at their shoes. They will have a look at the way they walk and the structure of the footing, the foot. They would also do either referrals, whether that client would need some kind of ointment or medication.
If they are fine they would just do a followup within 6-8 weeks.
So that is the normal recommendation especially if you are diabetic, to see the foot care nurse on a regular basis. Just to alleviate some of the foot care problems that could arise if you are diabetic or have high blood pressure or any other chronic illness.
How you can access foot care in your own community?
The Foot Care Program is an outreach program designed to make services more accessible for our community members within the Four Communities.
We are really pushing for foot care for anybody, young or old. We are seeing diabetes rates in our young children so we are really pushing for the Foot Care Nurses to educate the young, starting at a young age. Having them go to the schools just because we are seeing diabetes rates go up.
Recently, we just had a workshop back in November with ADI workers, the Aboriginal Diabetes Initiative workers, we want them to work together with the Foot Care Nurses to bring in clients.
Home Care is another program we work with just because they have the elderly, they have mobility issues so hopefully our Foot Care Nurses can get into their homes and provide a foot care service to them.
Who To Contact in your Community
St. Theresa Point - Currently Vacant
Wasagamack - Vacant Contact Nursing Station
Garden Hill - Vacant - Call the Nursing Station for Appointment
Garden Hill - Lilli Langemann,
My name is Lilli Langemann. My family and I came to Canada from Germany in 2007. I am a Registered Nurse. I graduated from Red River College in 2013. I have nursing experiences from back home as well. I currently work as a nurse for Bethania Group in Winnipeg. In 2018 I completed the Foot Care Nurse course through Assiniboine Community College. I have worked as a Foot Care Nurse in Garden Hill for Four Arrows RHA since January 2019. As a Foot care nurse we can provide basic foot care and assessments for diabetic and non -diabetic clients.
“My mission as a Foot Care Nurse is to provide the best foot care service in a safe, healthy environment. I want to provide the best of care for all of my Foot care clients, and to see everyone leave the Foot care clinic more comfortable and educated than when they came in.”
I am in the Garden Hill community one week a month. Please contact the Community Health Center/Nursing Station and book an appointment any time. The phone number is 204-456 2923. I look forward to seeing you!!
More about Lisa Demas, CFNHM, RN and her functions as Foot Care Regional Coordinator
I am the provider.
I provide the education to my Foot Care Nurses. I stay on top of what is necessary for them to pursue their job and make their job more relevant. It is very important that they get that education and they have the supplies that are needed because they are not readily available. They are not in the Northern Store.
So, it is very important that I get supplies shipped up there in a timely manner.
I do site visits to make sure the Nurses all have their credentials, their license. I do monitoring and evaluations. They also have documents that they have to send in on a timely manner and it is has to be proficient and detailed because that is what we are sending to Health Canada. Data collection is very important.
I am overseeing the Foot Care Nurses.
I also do public health. I have a lot of background in Home Care and Public Health. I am a jack of all trades. I do immunizations, I do needles. I have done it all in the last 10 years. I do Foot Care daily in Winnipeg.
It is a demanding job.
How To Contact Lisa Demas
Phone: 204-947-2397 Ext. 121
Email: ldemas@fourarrowsrha.org