2024-07-05 14:57:30
Although she does not complain about the lack of work, Laura is also tired of just sitting in the office. So she, having vacationed at least ten times with her friends on the Greek island of Evia, decided to hold camps there. And here she has just returned from a trip with seniors aged 65-82, from whom the only comments she received were too little exercise and too much food!
Podiatry is a service that nobody seems to need
Laura is a sweet and easy-going woman who willingly makes new acquaintances, goes to community meetings, and is very active. “As soon as I talk about my specialty – care of problem feet – management of ingrown nails, prevention of calluses and warts, care of cracked heels, there is never anyone who immediately comes and makes an appointment. And after a few days, I can get 5-7 seven calls.
It turns out that people still have problems with their feet, but it’s still a taboo subject in our society. I reserve a visit for those who apply and the next time I meet, I remain correct – I do not reveal what circumstances brought us together. That’s my secret job,” the specialist quips.
Laura tells about the intricacies of this work, having recently started teaching her colleagues as well. She says that she has already accumulated so much experience that she can definitely share it with others. One of the tips that the interviewer shared during the interview – if you don’t want to have problems with your feet, you should wear shoes of the right size and ergonomics. According to her, footwear should not press anywhere, so there is no need to buy shoes expecting to “wear” them.
“When going to buy shoes for yourself and especially for children, you need to prepare yourself – carefully define your feet and the children’s feet on a simple piece of paper. It is advisable to have more of such sheets with you, and when you come to the store and see the shoes you like, insert the paper cutout of the foot inside the shoes. If it is bent somewhere when you take it out – the foot will rub in that place, the shoe model is not suitable. Yes, you will have to get tired while choosing the right size and shape of shoes, but healthy feet are definitely worth it,” advises the specialist.
True, she points out that if it has already happened that calluses or ingrown toenails have formed on your feet, you should not expect that everything will go away by itself. Unfortunately, this is not the case, so you should immediately contact a specialist in the field of podiatry.
Volunteering is the meaning of life
An active woman manages to be everywhere, and paying tribute to society is one of her main priorities. “My colleagues and I have repeatedly gathered and traveled to take care of nursing home workers or nursing home patients themselves. We see the hard work these women do.
Moving, turning, feeding and washing people who can no longer move after a stroke or other diseases is incredibly hard work physically and morally exhausting. The nurses, for whom we did permanent make-up of lips or eyebrows for free, were worried and asked why we rewarded them like that”, Laura herself remembers with tears in her eyes.
She says that she is trying to alleviate problems related to problematic feet: “If a person has diabetes, is after a stroke, does not move, his blood circulation is impaired, the slightest cut can cause considerable bleeding and inflammatory processes. And myself, when I go to do a podiatry pedicure for such a patient, I always wear both special clothes and masks in order to protect clients with poor health as much as possible.
Laura says that the pedicure she gave to Mrs. Marija, who was lying down after a stroke, was especially memorable.
“The old woman herself could neither move nor speak, her only communication was eye contact. I walked around for three hours before I fixed her feet, which require special care due to poor blood circulation. Then I pulled back and asked – Maria, how are you feeling? And she looks at me with such big eyes and tears roll down her cheeks like beans. That’s how I got upset, we both cried. I realized that for me such a small thing as a pedicure, which I do every day, is the greatest manifestation of kindness and concern for this woman,” the woman shares her thoughts.
After all, Laura knows little about Mrs. Marija, but as much as she can, she tries to make the days of a woman, someone’s mother, grandmother, which are not always simple, easier. “If each of us gave our time and knowledge to people, even if we don’t know them, the world would be a much more beautiful place, and both givers and receivers would be happier,” she says. And maybe it is not a coincidence that when the idea of organizing camps in Greece was born, its first customers were members of the senior community.
Active seniors want more sports
Almost 10 years of working in the office started to tire Laura, she says she wanted to get away somewhere and thought that the second largest Greek island, Evia, would be perfect for that. Only this time she decided not to travel with her friends, but to organize a camp. After listening to the needs of all the seniors who planned to go together, she and a friend living in Evia did just that – organized a camp that met all the needs of seniors from 65 to 82 years old.
“Such seniors still need to be found – active, traveling all over the world and having seen everything, it was a fun challenge for me to interest them and try to keep them satisfied. Sports were on the wish list. We went to the hot springs together and exercised there – it was fine. We traveled a lot, which was perfect for them, and I could barely keep up. My God, if all seniors were so sporty, healthy and strong!”, the interviewer did not hide her surprise.
“By the way, we have received comments that too much food is served. Usually, when there is a lot of free food, we don’t get any comments, but here, moderation and self-care are clearly felt. I was impressed,” says the woman and says that the same group of seniors has already booked a camp with her in the fall as well. This shows that these seniors, who have seen a lot of the world, managed to live up to their expectations.
2024-07-05 14:57:30