Our elders cared for us while we were growing up, and we want to make sure they have the best care possible. Dr. Hoy has been a caregiver for his parents for decades. In addition to our Downtown Seattle office, Dr. Hoy’s inpatient geriatric practice spans throughout King County from Shoreline to Auburn, Seattle to Bellevue, where he sees groups of multiple patients in contracted facilities. These include inpatients in nursing homes, assisted living, memory care and adult family homes.
We are not taking new facilities at this time. To enroll a patient residing in a facility Dr. Hoy currently serves for podiatric medical and surgical services, please click on the button above for the forms. Please fill out the forms in their entirety by hand or electronically via Adobe Reader, then send back to us along with the front and back of the patient’s insurance cards, photo ID. You may either by upload to the secure portal above, email to Ava@Seattlefeet.com, fax it to 206-686-2184 or mail to 509 Olive Way, #1125, Seattle, WA 98101. After the paperwork is received, we will verify the patient’s insurance, inform the patient or DPOA of any patient responsibilities, and obtain a form of payment for those responsibilities prior to seeing the patient.
Patients and their families participating in our offsite podiatry service can benefit from the following articles:
1. Services provided at facilities
To better care for those with dementia, Dr. Hoy has been certified by the Alzheimer’s Association in their essentiALZ Dementia Care and essentiALZ Plus Dementia Advanced Care certifications. He also brightens the lives of some of our community’s elders by speaking to them in their native Taishanese, Cantonese, Mandarin or Spanish during their treatments.
“I accompany my brother to all his medical appointments, as he has early onset of vascular dementia. He has had three visits with Dr. Hoy, who has been very patient and thorough with the treatment he provides. He listens to his patient and explains what he is doing during the appointment. He asks the patient whether he understands and if he has any questions or concerns. He is clear about follow up appointments and treatment. My brother always remarks that Dr. Hoy knows what is doing.” -Kerry F.
Senior’s Foot Health from Chicago Health SMB Brands on Vimeo.
While proper foot care is important for everybody, senior citizens have the tendency to be more susceptible to certain conditions. The elderly should therefore be well-informed about podiatric problems that may arise and what they can do to properly avoid or treat them.
Some of the most common problems are foot ulcers, ingrown toenails, fallen arches, and fungal infections. A foot ulcer is an open sore on the foot and can be a result of decreased sensation in the feet due to diabetes. An ingrown toenail is defined as when the nail grows into the side of the toe. Fallen arches are indicated by the instep of the foot collapsing. A fungal infection is a condition that results in deformed and discolored toenails.
In order to avoid these conditions, and to avoid the risk for falls, it is recommended that the feet be inspected by the patient on a regular basis. If these inspections are carried out routinely, there is a good likelihood that problems can be identified before they become severe, or can even be avoided altogether. If any abnormality is discovered, it is important that the individual consults his or her podiatrist for a diagnosis and information on treatment options.
Proper foot hygiene is also important. Making sure that you always have clean, dry socks on can be a major deterrent to many different problems, including bacterial infections, foot odor, and certain types of fungus. Wet feet are a major cause of many of these problems. If your socks get wet, it is important to change them. Walking around in wet socks may not only lead to various infections, but can irritate the skin and result in a number of various complications. Clean, dry feet are less likely to be affected by fungal and other infections.
As people age, the fat present on the feet begins to deteriorate. The protective nature of this fat keeps the feet healthy by providing a barrier between your bones and the ground as well as giving the skin on the foot a certain amount of elasticity. This is one factor that causes elderly people to develop foot issues. Foot moisturizers can be helpful to avoid certain problems associated with this.
Proper footwear is another way to keep feet healthy. Shoes that fit well and provide proper support help prevent ingrown toenails and fallen arches.
Certain medical conditions, such as diabetes or poor blood circulation, increase the risk for foot issues. For individuals with any of these conditions, it is extremely important to conduct regular foot inspections to make sure that there are no sores or infections present.