Check your parent's feet each evening while they sit in good light with socks off, and look at the soles, heels and the skin between the toes first. After that, feel both feet for warmth and swelling, check the nails, wash and dry, inspect the day's shoes, put slippers on and note anything new.
The whole routine takes a few minutes once it becomes habit. Diabetes UK suggests checking feet every day, before socks go on in the morning and before bed. Evening suits most families, because the day's walking and shoes have had their chance to leave a mark.
Your parent stays in charge of this. Ask before you start, let them say what feels sore or odd, and let them do any part they can still manage.
Diabetes can hide a foot injury from the person who has it
You look every day because your parent may not feel a problem. The CDC says about half of all people with diabetes have some kind of nerve damage, and the feet and legs are most often affected. That damage can remove the feeling of pain, heat or cold. A cut, blister or sore can then go unnoticed.
Small problems can grow. Diabetes UK notes that people living with diabetes are much more likely to develop foot problems, which can become ulcers or infections. Your eyes and hands stand in for the warning signals their feet may no longer send.
Step 1: Seat them low, with light coming from the side
Have your parent sit in a firm chair with arms, feet resting on a pale towel. Sitting matters because nobody should balance on one leg for a foot check. A pale towel also makes any spot of blood or fluid easy to see.
Put the lamp beside you, not behind your head, so your own shadow stays off the foot. A flashlight (torch) held low and angled across the skin shows bumps, swelling and raised edges that overhead light flattens. Ceiling light alone is the most common reason small marks get missed.
Sit on a low stool facing them. You can rest one foot at a time on your knee, on a second towel, instead of asking them to lift it high.
Step 2: Look at the soles and between the toes before anything else
Start with the places your parent cannot see. The order that works for most families:
- The whole sole, from the ball of the foot to the heel.
- Around the back and edges of each heel, where shoes rub and skin cracks.
- Between every toe, gently spread apart one gap at a time.
- The tops of the toes and the knuckles.
- Any bump, such as a bunion or a curled toe joint, where shoe pressure lands.
- Ankles and the skin above the sock line.
On each area, watch for cuts, redness, swelling, sores, blisters, corns, calluses, and changes in the skin or nails. A shiny patch or a dark spot under hard skin is worth noting too.
If your parent prefers to check alone, a hand mirror propped on the floor shows the sole while they sit, with the light beside them rather than overhead; the low-vision guide covers where that light should sit. Some people find it easier to lie down and hold the mirror. Others hand the job to someone else, and that is a perfectly sensible choice.
Step 3: Compare one foot with the other for warmth and swelling
Use the backs of your fingers to feel the same spot on each foot, one after the other. Try the top of the foot, the sole, the heel and the ankle. Your hand notices a difference between left and right far more easily than it judges one foot alone.
Then look at shape. Does one ankle look fuller? Is the sock mark deeper on one leg? Do the shoes feel tighter on one side today?
A foot that feels warmer than its partner, or looks more swollen, belongs on today's list for the doctor. Write down which foot and where.
Step 4: Look at the nails, but save the cutting for daylight
Check each nail for edges digging into skin, redness at the sides, thickening or a change in color. Looking is part of the evening check. Cutting is a separate job for a bright morning when nobody is tired.
When you trim, cut straight across and file any sharp edges smooth. Keep away from the corners, and never dig down the sides.
Some nails belong to a podiatrist instead of you. Thick nails, nails that curve into the skin, or nails your parent cannot keep still for are good reasons to book one.
Step 5: Wash in warm water, dry fully, and keep lotion out from between the toes
Wash the feet daily in warm water, never hot. Test it with your own wrist or elbow first, since your parent may not feel heat properly. Skip soaking, even if it feels like a treat.
Dry completely, patting rather than rubbing. Pay most attention to the gaps between the toes, where dampness hides. A thin cotton cloth wrapped over one finger reaches in better than a bulky towel.
Put lotion on the tops and soles of the feet. Leave the spaces between the toes bare, because lotion there could lead to infection. Too much lotion on the soles can also make them slippery, so let it soak in before any walking.
Step 6: Check inside the shoes from today
Run your hand around the inside of each shoe before it goes back on the rack. You are feeling for pebbles, grit, a rolled insole, a torn seam or a rough patch where the lining should be smooth. Shake each shoe upside down as well.
Most people only look at the outside of a shoe. That misses the problem entirely, because the risk sits where the foot does.
Also compare any red marks on the feet with the shoes. A red spot on the little toe often matches a tight spot in the shoe above it. If new shoes are on the way, try them on at the end of the day and break them in a little at a time.
Step 7: Swap bare feet for slippers, including at night
Your parent should never walk barefoot, even for a quick trip to the bathroom. Set a pair of closed slippers with a firm sole right beside the bed. Put them where feet land, not tucked under the bed.
Closed backs and toes protect better than open slides. Socks alone on a hard floor are slippery and do little against a dropped pin or a sharp toy.
A night light along the route to the bathroom helps your parent find the slippers and see the floor. Check the slippers too, now and then, for anything that has fallen inside.
Step 8: Write it down or take a photo the same way each night
Keep a small notebook by the chair and note the date, which foot, where, and what you saw. "Left heel, dry crack, no redness" takes seconds to write. Blank nights count too, so jot "all clear."
Photos make change obvious. Ask your parent whether they are comfortable with this, then take the picture in the same light, from the same angle, each evening. Scrolling back over a week shows whether a mark is fading or growing.
Bring the notebook or photos to appointments. A doctor or podiatrist can see the pattern rather than relying on memory.
Call the doctor the same day if you find any of these
Phone your parent's doctor or diabetes team that day, not next week, if you see:
- Any open skin, cut, sore or blister, however small.
- New redness or swelling that was not there last night.
- One foot clearly warmer than the other.
- Red, sore skin around a nail.
- Fluid, blood or a smell on the sock or towel.
- A mark that looks worse than it did in yesterday's photo.
Early treatment matters with feet and diabetes. A foot ulcer can become infected and fail to heal, and getting help early greatly lowers the chance of serious harm. If the clinic is closed, use the after-hours number they give.
Not sure whether something counts? Call anyway. Nobody on a diabetes team minds a check that turns out to be nothing.
Common questions
Can I file down my parent's corns or calluses?
No, leave corns and calluses alone. Avoid cutting them, and skip over-the-counter corn removers. Note them in your record and show them to a podiatrist.
How often should a professional look at their feet?
The CDC advises having feet checked at every primary care visit and seeing a foot doctor every year. Ask for the shoes and socks to come off at each visit, as it can be skipped when appointments run short. Your parent's healthcare team can also arrange podiatry or a foot protection service if they need more help.
What if my parent does not want me looking at their feet?
Respect that and offer other ways to get the check done. A floor mirror, a video call where they show you their soles, or a regular podiatry visit all keep them in control. Explain that you want to catch small things early, then let them choose.
Should we check in the morning as well?
A quick morning look before socks go on is worthwhile if your parent is willing. The evening check stays the main one. Morning is a fast glance at the soles and between the toes, nothing more.
This article is general information, not medical advice. Please talk with your parent's doctor about their health.
