JanUary 2014
PaGe 29
Business Review
BUSineSS Bio
Fred Gibson, Foot Care Nurse puts your best foot forward sTorY & PhoTos bY CoNsTaNCe DwYer Known as “Fred the Foot Guy”, Alfred “Fred” Gibson is a full time nurse who also manages his own business in Uxbridge in Toenail & Foot Care, specializing in Senior Toenail Care and General Foot Care. Besides providing services in his office at his home in Uxbridge, he travels statewide in Massachusetts to make house calls to help seniors, in particular, who may be homebound or to anyone who needs toenail or foot care services in general. “I provide a necessary service to my clients and truly appreciate the relationship we develop with each other over time.” he says. This Foot Care Nurse decided to launch his career about 3 years ago when he was asked by a fellow nurse to cut a patient’s toenails but was unable to as the law requires that a nurse to be certified in this specialty. Then and there he felt a calling to dedicate his extra time and energy to the profession of foot care. He flew to Eau Clair, Wisconsin, to attend the University of Wisconsin for a 2-day course in professional foot care. He noted, with a smile, that as soon as the 22 students graduated, there were 180 residents in town who came for free toe nail clipping held at a Baptist Church after they saw an ad in the local paper announcing the free service. On an interesting note, he said there are “only 3 colleges in the United Sates that offer this type of course.” In his classes in Wisconsin, he said many of the students came from Indian reservations where they have clinics but the Indians never had the opportunity to receive toenail care. He also added that diabetic instruction is “a huge part of the course.” Fred further explained that the MA law for foot care was changed in 2002, allowing nurses to do foot care instead of having that service exclusive to podiatrists. He passed the Massachusetts state exam and was fully licensed in 2011 and is fully insured to do routine toenail maintenance, toenail care for seniors, his specialty, and general foot care at his office at 317 Aldrich Street, Uxbridge or in your home. Cost is $45 or more depending on how far he has to travel. “I am one of the few nurses who has made foot care a business, but I saw such a need in the community, I had to start my own business. I enjoy cutting toenails, and love the interaction with my clients.” He hears that some podiatrists rush from one client to the next wherein he “takes time to tell clients about foot care and I do a foot massage at every appointment.” “Clients think it’s glorious and comment how podiatrists don’t take time for a foot massage.” During his time with a client, he
Fred offers in-home services. takes time to inspect shoes and offers advice on wearing proper shoes. He derives “a lot of work” from the Worcester VNA Hospice but “word of mouth” has provided him with a number of new clients. “Some clients are young but most are elderly and I teach all of them how important it is to take care of your feet which support your whole body.” He is passionate about foot care and hopes someday to write a book, Feet of America in order to share the amazing stories he hears from his clients. Fred already has some practice in that arena, having written a book,
Love your Septic System reflecting information and stories of his family’s 50+ years in the Septic pumping business. Fred's enthusiasm about writing a book as a Foot Care Nurse is to “relive the stories of seniors. “I have a client from the Depression, a World War II veteran, and another gentleman is a war hero. Their lives and those of so many others of the elders need to be told, and could even become a movie.” He compared his job to a hairdresser’s where people can reveal more intimate details of their lives. “People love to talk about their mother and father and everyone loves to talk about their family.” Fred, in his calm and attentive manner, admitted that his profession “is a challenge and I understand why surgeons sweat.” “you have to be careful in cutting toenails and at the same time you want to listen to what you’re clients are talking about.” His most rewarding experience thus far, though, is “having saved a person’s feet in town.” He continued, “A podiatrist refused to do the foot care because the feet were catastrophic.” He was extremely pleased, in the end after three visits, “to have her feet normal again.” All his instruments are sterilized and “sterility is extremely important,” he acknowledged. Although he cannot prescribe medicines, he does talk to his clients about over-the-counter (OTC)
medicines “to educate them.” HIPAA laws are strictly adhered to. “My business is not about money but about the relationship with my clients and improving the care of their feet. I’d rather do it for nothing from the bottom of my heart.” With his happy admission of being a “devout Catholic,” he wants to “give back” to those who do not have money to pay him. “Charity is very important to Kim and I so we welcome opportunities to provide my foot care services to those in need at homeless shelters and in the general community." He is blessed in return with his business “doubling last year.” Fred is equally proud of his family and said with great love how he and his wife, Kimberly are “high school sweet-
hearts from Mendon and happily married for 33 years.” They have three sons he is “very proud of,” Ben, Sam and Joe who live in their 1830 home. They have made room for Kim’s Mother, Mrs. Dianne Deuitch, formerly of Upton, and their Godson, Luke Ludden who recently returned from Afghanistan. Hobbies? In his spare time his entrepreneurial spirit is evident as an “avid outdoorsman” and his past jobs as a truck driver and carpenter. For more information, call “Fred the Foot Guy,” in Uxbridge at (508) 8447534. Remember, you always have the option of foot care in his office at his home or he’ll make a house call to accommodate you. Let Fred help you put your best foot forward in 2014!
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