Foot care nurse opens practice in Sisters

Many of us over age 40 have noticed that our feet aren't what they used to be. After carrying our weight around for all those years, it's no surprise that feet really take a beating as we age.

Now, Sisters has its own community foot care nurse on duty - and there will be a lot more happy feet walking through town. Her name is Maggie Saslow, and she's just opened Sundance Foot Care LLC, which provides routine foot care that addresses circulatory, cosmetic and comfort issues.

A registered nurse with a Masters Degree in Nursing Science, Saslow has owned property in the Lower Bridge area since the mid-1990s and moved here permanently last October. She'd previously been an RN supervisor for a home-care agency in Portland that served as many as 1,000 clients each month and has now opened a similar practice here.

Her background in elder care includes positions as case manager for a conservatorship agency, bereavement counselor for a Portland hospice and supervisor of a Portland foot care program.

"Routine foot care is more important than people realize," Saslow said. "This is as true for older folks who have trouble with simple tasks like bending over or seeing well enough to trim their toenails as it is for young athletes. It's also important for people who engage in work or recreation that's tough on feet, such as a job that requires you to stand all day on hard surfaces or sports like running or hiking that can result in foot damage from improper technique."

Saslow points out that there are many reasons why people need help caring for their feet. Many elders, or even a young person who's disabled or in a cast or back brace, can't reach well enough to wash their feet or cut their nails. Additionally, people who are involved in sports, whether its competitive sports like soccer or recreational activities like running, hiking or climbing, often have problems resulting from overuse, repetitive motion or the wrong type of shoes. Foot care is also extremely important for anybody with circulatory issues, including diabetics and people on anticoagulation drugs.

"You'd be surprised at how many women have damaged feet from wearing high-heeled shoes," Saslow said. "After wearing this type of shoe for many years, women end up with bunions, hammer toes, corns and a variety of other problems. But men have foot problems as well, especially older men who served in the armed forces and contracted toe fungus in the tropics."

The services provided by Sundance Foot Care include detailed inspection of each foot, assessment and evaluation, soaking, trimming and filing nails, smoothing corns and calluses, foot massage, counseling and referral to a primary care provider, physical therapist or podiatrist if needed.

"Falls are the most common reason for older people to lose their independence and move into nursing homes," said Saslow. "Proper foot care can prevent many falls, because if your feet are healthy, your balance and mobility is better. But very few people think about it that way. Feet are terribly neglected. We grow up leaning as children to take care of our teeth, but nobody tells us to take care of our feet."

Saslow purchased her property in Sisters after a 50-year love affair with the area that began when her sixth grade class went to Camp Sherman for a camping trip. She returned regularly as an adult and bought her place at Lower Bridge in 1994. She and her children would spend holidays and vacations there, eventually living in a tent while a small straw bale house was built on the property. After selling her home in Portland, Maggie began construction on a larger house and moved in two years later.

Sundance Foot Care can be reached at 541-815-8131. Home visits to outlying areas such as Bend, Redmond and Crooked River Ranch can be scheduled by special arrangement.