“Basic Foot care for all Foot Care Nurses and Carers both Australia wide and Internationally”

 
Public Information
 

FAQ's
   

Frequently asked questions

How do I know if the Foot and Hand Carer is qualified and belongs to
the Association?

As with any home visit, at the initial consultation, the Foot and Hand Carer will show you identification. This identification will be in the form of a Foot and Hand Carer's business card with membership and qualification details. This card can only be obtained by a fully qualified Foot and Hand Carer and will include the the Foot and Hand Carers' logo. Sometimes the Foot and Hand Carer will also be displaying the logo on the front of their uniforms. Naturally, the Association can also be contacted and will be happy to validate the carer.

How can I tell if clinics or salons have qualified Foot and Hand Carers?

Clinics or salons will display the official Foot and Hand Carers logos on their signage or front entrances. They will also hang qualifications and Association membership certificates from their walls.

How often should my parents or grandparents see a Foot and Hand Carer and is there concession for pensioners?

Every client has different needs, but generally the normal return periods are between 6-8 weeks. Some clients may be able to attend to their own nails and only require detailed attention every 3-4 months.

Whatever the situation, the carer will work with the client to provide a personalised service for each client.

es, concession fees are available for pensioners. The Foot and Hand Carer will explain the various fee structures available to all clients on request.

Do you do home visits?

Absolutely! Foot and Hand Carers have been trained to do home visits primarily. This is often more convenient, less time consuming and less expensive for the client.

Podiatrists study for several years to qualify. How can you condense Foot and Hand Care into short courses? 

Foot and Hand  Care is not podiatry. Foot and Hand Care courses do not resemble a Podiatry course. Foot and Hand care shorts courses teaches skills at a very basis level, and the clients with complex needs are not treated by Foot and Hand Carers unless specifically referred by a podiatrist, foot specialist or medical practitioners.

Nor does the role of a Foot and Hand Carer  resemble that of a Podiatrist, any more than the role of a Nurse resembles that of a Doctor.

Foot and Hand Care courses have been developed in response to a long term community and industry need to have adequately trained staff available to perform routine, simple foot and hand care, such as attending to foot hygiene, trimming nails, and reducing corns and callus.

At present, these tasks are often performed by untrained and unassessed staff, and Foot and Hand Care courses has been developed in part to reduce the risk to the public from such procedures, and also make routine Foot and Hand Care available to meet industry needs and at a more affordable cost.

Won’t Podiatrists disappear if Foot and Hand Carers enter the Foot Care Industry?

The role of Foot and Hand Carer is complementary to, not competing with, the role of podiatrists.  Foot and Hand Carers depend on the expertise of podiatrists, foot specialists or medical practioners for supervision and consultation, and referral.

It’s the opinion of the FHCA, that the role of Podiatrist will not be devalued or minimised by the development of Foot and Hand Care as a profession.

Podiatrists are quite rightly the experts in their field, and provide an invaluable service to the community.

The Association believes that the role of Foot and Hand Carer will leave Podiatrists in the position of being the highly skilled experts they are, and will enhance their ability to provide high quality care to their client who need specialist care of their feet.

It is hoped that by fostering good relationships between Foot and Hand Carers and Podiatrists, the Health of the Community will be enhanced, and the range of services offered in Podiatry clinics will be broadened, leading to increases business opportunities and a greater range of accessible services to the public.

What if I am diagnosed with a particular condition by a Foot and Hand Carer? 

Foot and Hand Carers do not diagnose. They identify abnormal conditions, and treat appropriately, including referring the client to a Podiatrist, foot specialist or medical practioners as appropriate.  In order to make appropriate referrals, or to act appropriately on referrals from other health professionals, Foot and Hand and Carers are taught about common conditions affecting people’s feet, and their causes and treatment.  This knowledge is at a very basic level, and is not a substitute for a foot specialist or medical practitioner’s highly skilled diagnostic skills.

What about infection control procedures? I have heard that Foot and Hand Carers don’t have to abide by these. 

Foot and Hand Carers are bound by the same infection control guidelines and regulations which apply to Nurses. All reusable instruments must be sterilised in accordance with Department of Health regulations, to conform with Australian Standard As 4187-1998. (Cleaning, disinfecting and sterilising reusable medical and surgical equipment and maintenance of associated environments in health care facilities).

Who are Foot and Hand Carers answerable to?

After qualification Foot and Hand Carers are answerable to the Foot and Hand Carers Association (with whom they register) www.footandhandcarers.com .

Some Foot and Hand Carers are Members of other health disciplines, such as Nursing or Reflexology, and they are also bound by the rules of those organisations.

Because Foot and Hand Carers are not Podiatrists, they are not accountable to the Australian Podiatry Association, or the Australian Podiatry Council

I have heard that if a Podiatrist refers a client to a Foot and Hand Carer for treatment, the Podiatrist may be held liable for the actions of the Foot and Hand Carer should anything go wrong? 

Any Health care professional who refers clients to others may be subject to legal action by a patient injured by the second professional. For example, a doctor may refer a patient to a district nurse for care and treatment.  If through the nurse’s malpractice, the patient is injured, the patient may take legal action against the referring Doctor and the Nurse if they wish.

Likewise, if a Foot and Hand Carers refers a client to a Podiatrist, the Foot and Hand Carer might face legal action from the client who suffers injury by the Podiatrist.

This is a risk which all Medical and Health care professionals must face when referring a patient to any practitioner, regardless of their discipline.  This issue is something which all Health Care Professionals need to consider when caring for a “Shared” patient.

The financial and legal risk to the medical practitioner is reduced if the Health Care provider maintains public Liability insurance.

All Foot and Hand Carers who are Members of the Foot and Hand Care Association must have Business Legal Liability Insurance in order to practice.

Therefore it is doubly important that before you refer any clients to a Foot and Hand Carer, you ensure that the Foot and Hand Carer is qualified and registered with the Foot and Hand Carers Association.

I’m a Podiatrist how can a Foot and Hand Carer help me in my Podiatry practice? 

A Foot and Hand Carer with Certificate IV qualifications is trained to attend to the routine treatment of a patient- to reduce corns and callus, trim the nails, and massage the feet and hands. These are interventions which the Podiatrist very rarely has time to do, and is something that all patients look forward to, and therefore patients satisfaction is likely to increase.

Foot and Hand Carers are trained in communicating effectively with patients and are more orientated towards aged care work, giving your Podiatry practice even more repour than you had before.

This extra input frees up the Podiatrists to attend to the more specialised work, which will again increase practice revenue and also adds value to your most valuable asset-your practice.

In essence, you the Podiatrist will be lifted to the next level and be able to practice as the true, ‘Foot Specialists” that you are.

 As the Foot and Hand Carer is not as specialised as the Podiatrist, so their fees will be less than the Podiatrist. They will also attract a different clientele. Clients who were unable to afford a foot specialist consultation fee now can afford Foot and Hand Care on a more regular basis, and will always be encouraged to have biannual or annual check ups by the practicing Podiatrist.

Foot and Hand Carers are well trained in domiciliary care and it’s in this area that your practice can also expand, providing a domiciliary service while you are still practicing in the clinic is a good way to leverage your practice.

Employing a Foot and Hand Carer will now be a very viable proposition for most practices, as the cost of employing a Foot and Hand Carer is considerably less than employing another specialist podiatrist.  It is possible to employ two Foot and Hand Carers at the same cost as a single podiatrist, and this is currently happening in some practices.

As Foot and Hand Carers are trained to maintain and monitor the general hygiene of the hands and feet you will be able to take more time off and enjoy life, knowing that your practice is being looked after by someone you know, trust, and would have trained to work the way you want them to in your practice. 

My receptionist who doubles as a Podiatry assistant would like to do the course. While she is studying the theory online can I  help her with the practical component of the course so that she does not have to travel to do the practical work shops. And if so what insurance do we need?

Foot and Hand Care students may be taught practical skills by a podiatrist, or an already qualified Foot and Hand Carer, by arrangement with the Foot and Hand Association.

The assessment process for students who have been taught in this manner must be negotiated with the Association. In such a situation, it must be clear that the student is practicing clinical skills as a student, until assessed as competent and a qualification is granted.