A volunteer outreach worker in Penticton checks on a homeless person.

Image Credit: SUBMITTED/ Shayla Doble

Recent warmer winter temperatures and consequent snow melt have created sloppy, wet conditions in parts of the Thompson Okanagan Region, which is causing foot problems for some people living on the streets. 

A lack of dry socks and waterproof footwear means wet feet for extended periods of time, creating a condition called “trench foot” or “immersion foot.”

“People have had soaked shoes and soaked feet for days,” said regular volunteer at The Loop outreach centre in Kamloops, Danica Fletcher. “Their feet are so wet they are spongy and the skin is all white.”

Trench foot can happen when the feet are wet for long periods of time and can be quite painful according to the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, but it can be prevented and treated.

Symptoms include tingling or itching sensations, pain, swelling, cold and blotchy skin, numbness, and a prickly or heavy feeling in the foot. The foot may be red, dry and painful after it becomes warm.

“If you can imagine, it is like having your feet in the bathtub for a couple of days,” Fletcher said. “I’ve seen black toes and toenails that look really bad.”

READ MORE: Warming bus new stop-gap measure to help homeless during Kelowna cold snap

Blisters can form and skin and tissue can die and fall off, according to the centre for disease control.

The preventative step is to keep feet dry and exchange wet shoes and socks for dry ones, not something that is always possible for those living rough.

“A lot of people donated big fluffy warm socks that unfortunately don’t fit into street shoes,” Fletcher said. “We got works socks donated at Christmas which went out really quickly. We always need more socks.”

A volunteer outreach worker in Penticton is taking extra care to prevent trench foot in the homeless population she looks after.

“Right now I’m happy to say we don’t have any reports of trench foot,” said Shayla Doble who has done outreach work with a small team for over five years. “We try to address that before it is a problem. We hand out dry socks daily and try to make sure people have good footwear, with the donations we receive from the community.”

She said it is not super wet in Penticton currently, but street conditions were slushy just after Christmas.

“We try to go out every day and make sure socks are given even to the homeless who are not completely with it,” she said. “We even take their wet socks off their feet and put new socks on them because some are not coherent enough to do it or recognize it needs to be done.”

READ MORE: Kelowna's homeless population expected to double by 2026

Treatment for trench foot is similar to the treatment for frostbite. Feet should be kept clean and dry and dry socks be put on daily. Affected parts can be treated by applying warm packs or soaking in warm water for around five minutes. Wounds on feet should be checked every day for infections.

Fletcher and Doble said socks are always needed at outreach centres. Used condition is welcome as long as the socks are clean.

Donations can dropped at The Loop at 405A Tranquille Road in Kamloops or at Hotel Penticton on 95 Westminster Avenue or your nearest shelter.

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