There are a surprising number of sayings about feet. Perhaps you’ve always aimed to “put your best foot forward,” or maybe you tend to “drag your feet” when an unpleasant task looms. Maybe you’ve even been “swept off your feet” once or twice.
How are your feet these days? It’s worth thinking about, given that nearly 1 in 5 middle-aged and older adults experience foot and ankle pain, according to a systematic review of 31 studies involving 75,000 people.
So, can you still trim your own toenails easily? Are you bothered by calluses or corns? Is walking uncomfortable? These might sound like minor issues, but they can worsen if not addressed and may affect your mobility or independence.
Mobile podiatry provides an easy way to address these concerns without travelling to a clinic. Valens Care provides in-home podiatry for older Australians and NDIS participants across Brisbane Metro, the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast.
Age-related feet changes
Ageing changes the feet. Skin can become drier, toenails thicken and get harder to cut safely, and years of load through the joints can bring stiffness or pain that wasn’t there a decade ago.
Older people may experience foot problems due to:
- Arthritis: Almost half (49%) of Australians aged 65 and over have arthritis, which can affect any of the 33 joints in the foot, leading to pain, stiffness and reduced movement. Corns and calluses can develop because of changes in your walking pattern. Arthritis can also affect the hands, making it harder to manage fiddly nail scissors.
- Diabetes: This reaches a prevalence of 18.7% among over-75s. Poor circulation and peripheral neuropathy, a common diabetes complication, can reduce foot sensation, meaning you may not notice changes in your feet. Regular foot checks are a critical part of ongoing diabetes care.
- Eyesight changes: Worsening eyesight can make it hard to see cuts or changes in the colour of your foot.
- Limited flexibility: As you get older, it may be harder to properly wash your feet, inspect the soles, or trim your toenails.
Podiatrists can support you by providing footwear advice, orthotics to redistribute pressure, treatment for corns and calluses, mobility exercises, and diabetic foot checks.
Mobile podiatry for NDIS participants
Podiatry needs among NDIS participants trace back to how a disability affects movement, sensation or communication. NDIS participants may need podiatry support because of:
- Autism and sensory differences: Autism is now the most common primary disability among NDIS participants, representing 40% of the 740,000 people in the scheme in 2025. Sensory differences and gait or posture changes may mean that skilled podiatry input is helpful.
- Cerebral palsy: Muscle tone changes can shift how weight is carried through the foot, affecting gait, pressure points and shoe fit.
- Spinal cord injury: Where a spinal cord injury affects sensation in the lower limbs, pressure injuries and skin breakdown can develop without any pain to signal it, the same underlying risk seen in diabetes-related nerve damage.
An at-home podiatrist can support NDIS participants with footwear advice, custom orthotics, pressure-relief strategies, nail and skin care, and a pace and communication style suited to the person.
Home visits also remove the need to organise accessible transport just to have a foot problem reviewed. Any NDIS-funded podiatry must still meet the scheme’s requirements and relate directly to the participant’s disability.
What happens during a podiatry home visit
We arrive on time and you welcome us in. Then we sit down and ask you about your feet and your overall health. We’re interested in anything that might be slowing you down, such as discomfort, pain or infection.
Then we’ll examine your feet and nails closely, looking for any signs of pressure or damage. We may also watch as you walk, checking how your foot moves and supports you.
Depending on what we find, your treatment might include:
- Footwear advice – easier at home, where you can show us your whole shoe collection!
- Exercises to help manage foot and ankle discomfort
- Nail care, including regular trimming or treating ingrown toenails
- Debriding callused skin
- Removing corns or plantar warts
- Prescribing orthotics.
We may also liaise with your wider treatment team, a common practice in managing diabetes.
Caring for your feet between visits
To care for your feet between podiatry visits, we recommend:
- Checking your feet for broken skin, swelling or redness around the nails.
- Choosing shoes that hold the foot securely without squeezing the toes
- Not cutting your nails into the corners, if they’re thick or hard to reach, book a visit rather than risk it.
Mobile podiatry with Valens Care
Valens Care offers mobile podiatry for older Australians and NDIS participants who’d rather see a podiatrist at home.
Book an appointment and put the kettle on. We’ll be there soon!
Disclaimer
All information is general and not intended as a substitute for professional advice.
References [Accessed 16 July 2026]
- Peat, G., Hannan, M., Menz, H., Zhang, W., Roddy, E., & Thomas, M. (2011). The population prevalence of foot and ankle pain in middle and old age: A systematic review. Pain, 152(12), 2870–2880. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pain.2011.09.01
- Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. (2024). Older Australians: Health – Arthritis and other musculoskeletal conditions. https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/older-people/older-australians/contents/health/health-disability-status#Arthritis%20and%20other%20musculoskeletal%20conditions
- Arthritis Foundation. (n.d.). Anatomy of the foot. https://www.arthritis.org/health-wellness/about-arthritis/where-it-hurts/anatomy-of-the-foot
- Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2023). Diabetes. https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/health/health-conditions-and-risks/diabetes/latest-release
- Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. (2024). Autism policies in Australia. In Policy responses to rising autism diagnoses in childhood. OECD Publishing. https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/policy-responses-to-rising-autism-diagnoses-in-childhood_08394255-en/full-report/autism-policies-in-australia_07738375.html
