Originally published in our Fall 2024 Connections Newsletter
For the last 10 years, the only shoes PB was able to wear were Crocs because it was hard to find shoes that fit her feet. Proper shoes weren’t an option. This left her highly susceptible to the leading—and preventable—cause of injury-related death for those over 65: falls.
But today, thanks to donations made by the community to our Necessities of Life fund, she and other Adult Day Health Program participants are sporting comfortable, supportive, well-fitting shoes as part of the program’s efforts to reduce the risk of falling.
“PB wears them every day and now has the biggest smile on her face when she comes to the Adult Day Health Program,” says Adult Day Health Program Director Christie Hebditch.
“The point of our program is to keep people living independently as possible and give caregivers respite,” says Christie. “When the Foundation Board asked where donations to the Necessities of Life program could have the most impact in our program, I immediately thought of how one of the most preventable, devastating things to happen to older adults is a fall. It can be devastating—leading to hospitalization, surgery, infection, and sometimes death.”
Good shoes are a necessity, but not everyone has $200 to invest in good sneakers. Others don’t know how and where to get fitted, or have health issues (such as gout, diabetes, neurological disorders, or arthritis) or physical deformities that make it difficult to find shoes that fit.
“This was a great way for a small investment to make a huge difference in participants’ quality and possibly length of life,” says Christie. “So I asked our therapy team to see who was most at risk of falls and what their current footwear was. We whittled it down to 20, and then started doing research to find a company that would come on-site to measure and fit our participants.
“It took awhile, but when I called Fleet Feet in Vacaville, they immediately offered to help. Their team ended up making six visits to the program, to fit and test to get exactly the right shoe for each person—including double-width shoes and shoes with no-tie laces for those who don’t have the dexterity to tie shoes.
“Our participants are wearing their new shoes and loving them. Our goal is to go above and beyond for our participants, so we are always looking for ways to improve their lives. Thanks to donations to our Necessities of Life fund, we were able to help some of our most at-risk participants take a big step in maintaining their health and independence.”
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