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Nail Care

In this section

  1. 1
    Policy Statement
  2. 2
    Definitions
  3. 3
    Scope
  4. 4
    Legal Context
  5. 5
    Mandatory Procedures
  6. 6
    Practice Guidance – General Personal Care
  7. 7
    Washing, dressing, toileting
  8. 8
    Nail Care
  9. 9
    Shaving
  10. 10
    Contact Lenses and Spectacles
  11. 11
    Dental Care
  12. 12
    Hearing Aids
  13. 13
    Sanitary/Incontinence Protection
  14. 14
    Contraceptive Devices
  1. 15
    Body Piercing
  2. 16
    Practice Guidance – Clinical Tasks
  3. 17
    Category 1 – Acceptable Tasks
  4. 18
    Category 2 –Tasks that may be delegated by a health professional to the local authority
  5. 19
    Category 3 Tasks – Not to be performed by adult social care staff in any circumstances
  6. 20
    Emergency Procedures
  7. 21
    Cardiac and Respiratory Resuscitation/DNR notices
  8. 22
    Self-Directed care
  9. 23
    Recording
  10. 24
    Implementation
  11. 25
    Monitoring and Review
  12. 26
    Acknowledgements
  13. 27
    Policy details

All information and links on this page are under review. Please see the skills for care website for the most up to date guiding principles - Delegated healthcare activities

8.     Nail Care

8.1    Nail care needs to be approached with caution. Care of finger nails may be undertaken if staff complete a risk assessment which indicates that there are no contra-indications. Nails should be filed with an emery board.

8.2    Foot care should be treated with caution. A risk assessment must be completed to see if the service user is suitable and only staff who have received training from the NHS Gloucestershire podiatry service should undertake the task of cutting toe nails or using a pumice or file on dry skin. If there are needs in excess of basic foot care, the person should be referred to the podiatry service of NHS Gloucestershire.

Policy published: April 2010
Policy revised and checked: October 2011
Last reviewed:
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