# Pedicure for the mobility-impaired in/near Mountain View, CA? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 18, 2015, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pedicure-for-the-mobility-impaired-in-near-mountain-view-ca/725476 "2015-07-18T02:09:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![troubledwater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f4b2a3/32.png) [@troubledwater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/troubledwater)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2015, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pedicure-for-the-mobility-impaired-in-near-mountain-view-ca/725476/1 "2015-07-18T02:09:14Z")
My aunt is in a nursing home in Mountain View. She receives sufficient foot care to stave off gangrene, but that’s about it. Her feet are rough and look terrible and I asked her if she’d like to go out for a pedicure and she is all for it. She’d be happy with just a soak - my town has a place dedicated to that, but I don’t know about where she is. The thing is, she doesn’t get around so well. She uses a walker, but can go up a step of two without it IF there is a railing for her to hold on to. All the salons I’ve been to (like, 3 of them) have chairs up on little platforms and I don’t think she could get into (or out of) one of those without a grab bar or something. I live 250 miles away, so I can’t scope out anything myself. Any suggestions? ---
**Author:** ![Marion\_Wormer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d07c76/32.png) [@Marion\_Wormer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marion_Wormer)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2015, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pedicure-for-the-mobility-impaired-in-near-mountain-view-ca/725476/2 "2015-07-18T02:49:30Z")
I worry about this for my mother who is in assisted living. I usually take care of it myself when I visit, but in times when I’m not there for months her feet get grotty. You could hire someone to drive her to the pedicure place or even a podiatrists. I asked the home where my mother lives for a driver recommendation and got a wonderful man who does geriatric support for shut-ins. He takes her to the doctor all the time, and I can trust him to get her to a pedicure or a podiatrist. ---
**Author:** ![GrumpyBunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bc8723/32.png) [@GrumpyBunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrumpyBunny)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2015, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pedicure-for-the-mobility-impaired-in-near-mountain-view-ca/725476/3 "2015-07-18T03:25:04Z")
If she doesn’t have diabetes of circulatory problems you could look for a nail salon or spa on Yelp. You can find out if the salon is wheelchair-accessible, and call one to find out if/how they could work with a client who can’t climb into the chair. If she does have diabetes or circulatory problems, I don’t think she should go to a regular pedicure place until it’s been ok’d by her doctor. ---
**Author:** ![GrumpyBunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bc8723/32.png) [@GrumpyBunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrumpyBunny)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2015, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pedicure-for-the-mobility-impaired-in-near-mountain-view-ca/725476/4 "2015-07-18T03:34:52Z")
Missed the edit window… You could also look into medical pedicures, which take into account client mobility issues, as well as any issues with diabetes, circulatory problems, and so on. Examples: [http://www.neatfeetnow.com/toenail\_fungus\_medical\_foot\_spa.html](http://www.neatfeetnow.com/toenail_fungus_medical_foot_spa.html) [http://www.sancarlospodiatry.com/pedicure.php](http://www.sancarlospodiatry.com/pedicure.php) (apparently this group does house calls) ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2015, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pedicure-for-the-mobility-impaired-in-near-mountain-view-ca/725476/5 "2015-07-18T05:02:58Z")
She needs a podiatrist or someone medical to do this. My mother (age 90) goes to the podiatrist to get her toenails trimmed. Don’t send her to a salon unless you’re POSITIVE they can handle her feet (as it were). ---
**Author:** ![troubledwater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f4b2a3/32.png) [@troubledwater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/troubledwater)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2015, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pedicure-for-the-mobility-impaired-in-near-mountain-view-ca/725476/6 "2015-07-18T13:36:23Z")
Medical pedicures are a thing? That’s what we need, then. She has diabetes, too. I don’t mind going down to take her - I owe her a visit (many visits) anyway. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2015, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pedicure-for-the-mobility-impaired-in-near-mountain-view-ca/725476/7 "2015-07-18T13:57:40Z")
> [@troubledwater](#): > > Medical pedicures are a thing? That’s what we need, then. She has diabetes, too. > > I don’t mind going down to take her - I owe her a visit (many visits) anyway. I went to Yelp and searched for “medical pedicures” in Mountain View CA and got this [list](http://www.yelp.com/search?find_desc=&find_loc=mountain+view+CA&ns=1#find_desc=medical+pedicure). You can also search for “medical spa.” I wouldn’t turn those feet over to the average run-of-the-mill nail salon. The woman I go to for pedicures works on lots of \ _older women_ and lots of diabetics, so she is extra careful with everything. Hell, one time I was getting a pedicure and it became clear to me that the guy doing it was a total newbie. I stopped him and said I needed someone who knew what they were doing. There was a language barrier, but I got my message across. Another time I was getting a manicure (somewhere else) and the girl (and she was a _girl_) made my cuticles bleed. I said, “No thanks,” got up and walked out. ---
**Author:** ![troubledwater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f4b2a3/32.png) [@troubledwater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/troubledwater)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2015, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pedicure-for-the-mobility-impaired-in-near-mountain-view-ca/725476/8 "2015-07-18T14:51:12Z")
**ThelmaLou** , I know you’re right. I know generally that diabetic foot care is important, and I’ve read horror stories about horrible infections picked up at salons. OTOH, I also tend to forget that when I personally get stuff done because I am nearly impervious to infections and could get exfoliated with 80 grit sandpaper and moisturized with tetanus-infused foot creme and probably be fine. My aunt, not so much. There is one in San Carlos that is looking pretty good. I’ll have to spend some time with the list, thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Marion\_Wormer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d07c76/32.png) [@Marion\_Wormer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marion_Wormer)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2015, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pedicure-for-the-mobility-impaired-in-near-mountain-view-ca/725476/9 "2015-07-19T00:44:25Z")
[This is from The Onion. It made me smile on the topic. Whoever wrote this doesn’t have elderly parents in care.](http://www.theonion.com/blogpost/its-feet-like-this-that-remind-me-why-i-got-into-g-17569)