Neighborhood Foot Care Patrol®

  Neighborhood Foot Care Patrol® is a Nurses & Neighbors Collaborative initiative bringing foot health education and screenings directly into the community — with a focus on older adults, individuals experiencing homelessness, and underserved neighbors.

The Patrol launched in late summer 2025 with the recruitment and training of volunteer nurses and community partners. By October 2025, the team began delivering screenings at libraries, shelters, health fairs, and community sites across Delaware.

Since then, the Patrol has reached more than 160 individuals through over a dozen outreach events, providing foot health assessments, education, and referrals — often addressing needs that might otherwise go unmet.

Spring 2026 marks the completion of our initial screening phase. We are now focusing on community education and outreach, with plans to relaunch screenings in Fall 2026.

Foot health directly affects health and longevity. Healthy feet help prevent falls, support mobility, and protect independence — especially for older adults and vulnerable neighbors.

Our trained patrol volunteers will:

• Screen for infection, skin breakdown, and injuries
• Educate on daily foot care and safe footwear
• Refer to medical care before problems become serious

 We follow a simple, evidence-informed framework called CPR for Foot Care™*:

• C = Check – Look for skin breakdown and signs of infection
  
• P = Protect – Provide clean socks if needed and practical education to reduce injury
  
• R = Referral – Connect people to timely medical care before problems become serious

* CPR for Foot Care is an initiative of the Scottish Diabetes Foot Action Group.

This work is made possible by our donors and a generous grant from the Highmark Delaware Fund at the Delaware Community Foundation — thank you for believing in this work and helping us get it off the ground.  

• CPR for Foot Care™ Training Manual (NHS Scotland): Download PDF
• ADA Standards of Care 2025: professional.diabetes.org/SOC
• Keck School of Medicine – 3-Minute Diabetic Foot Exam
•  If your organization offers primary care, podiatry, orthotics, or any foot/lower extremity services, let’s collaborate! Join our community referral directory — and be one of the 3 C’s: Check. Care. Connect.
• Delaware Self-Management Programs (SMP) - the diabetes SMP has a section on foot care. More information here:  Support for Chronic Diseases | Healthy Delaware 

• Cape Gazette: (11/2/25)    VegFallFest kicks off the season | Cape Gazette - with photo of the Neighborhood Foot Care Patrol™ 
• Neighborhood Foot Care Patrol™ in Delaware Retiree (12/1/25).
• Neighborhood Foot Care Patrol™ featured in the inaugural newsletter of the Community Resource Center (12/11/25). 
• Nurses & Neighbors Quarterly - Jan 2026.

•  CPR for Foot Care: Community-Based Prevention for Delaware Neighborhoods, Delaware Diabetes Wellness Expo, Nov 5, 2025, Dover, DE.