It isn’t a facet of senior personal care that is as widely discussed as other tasks, but is vital to keeping seniors healthy nonetheless. A lack of senior skin care can lead to a wide variety of concerns for seniors, including dryness, itching, bruising, discomfort, and more.
The senior care professionals at Heaven at Home Senior Care work hard to keep older adults safe and healthy from head to toe, and this includes healthy skin. We’ve explained some of the more common senior skin care difficulties below, along with some guidelines to help.
Dryness
According to Medscape, the majority of adults over age 65 are troubled by dry, itchy, flaky skin, which is the result of a decrease in sweat and oil glands.
How to help:
- See if “dry bath” products work well for the individual; these clean the skin and hair without the use of water
- The individual should take less frequent baths or showers, utilizing warm (not hot) water, gently drying the skin, and applying moisturizer
- Make sure the older person drinks plenty of fluids and uses a humidifier to rehydrate the skin
- Try using milder soaps and shampoos, like those with Nizoral, for people who have special skin conditions, and always apply sunscreen before going outside
- Steer clear of:
- Smoking
- Stress
- Perfumes
- Overexposure to the sun
Bruising
It’s common for bruising to be an issue for seniors, resulting from thinner skin and less fat and connective tissue that can contribute to a weakening of the support surrounding blood vessels.
How to help:
- Try to keep bruised areas elevated as much as possible
- Encourage the individual to get plenty of vitamin C, which boosts collagen
- To minimize the inflammation and size of a bruise, place a cold compress over the bruise for around 20 minutes
- Help the senior stop smoking, as smoking diminishes collagen production
The caregiving team at Heaven at Home Senior Care has great experience in helping with senior skin care needs, and we’re here to offer help and support to your senior loved one through baths/moisturizing, looking for changes in the skin, preventing bed sores, and more. Contact us online, or give us a call any time at (940) 380-0500 for more information about our in-home senior care in Plano, TX and the surrounding areas.