Falls, Socks and Footwear

Use the safe shoe checklist to assess footwear. This checklist is a reliable tool for evaluating specific shoe features that could potentially improve postural stability in patients. Discourage patients from walking in socks, because this is associated with a 10-fold increased risk of falling.164

This is particularly relevant in the hospital setting: patients should not walk in TEDs (antiembolism stockings) without appropriate footwear on their feet. Make sure that, while mobilising, the patient wears fitted, nonslip footwear (discourage the patient from moving about in socks, surgical stockings or slippers).

References

Koepsell T, Wolf M, Buchner D, Kukull W, LaCroix A, Tencer A, Frankenfeld C, Tautvydas M and Larson E (2004). Footwear style and risk of falls in older adults. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society 52(9):1495–1501.