Why Skin Care Is So Important For Your Elder
Skin is the largest organ of the body, but many people neglect their skin, especially as they get older. During November, which is National Healthy Skin month, it’s important for seniors, their families and their elder care providers to learn more about why skin care is so important for seniors.
Elder Care Malibu CA – Why Skin Care Is So Important For Your Elder
Skin care is something that everyone needs to pay attention to but for seniors skin health is even more important than it is for other age groups. That’s because as people get older their skin loses moisture and elasticity. It can be become painfully dry and scaley as a result of medications, lifestyle issues like smoking, and underlying health conditions.
Seniors that don’t take care of their skin could up with problems like:
Bruising
Older people tend to bruise pretty easily, partly because of the condition of their skin. If you have noticed bruises on your senior loved one even though they haven’t fallen or injured themselves that’s not unusual. Even knocking an arm against the wall can cause a bad bruise for some seniors because of the changes that occur in senior skin. If you’re worried because it seems like your senior loved one is bruising quite a bit you can ask an elder care provider to pay close attention to how often your senior loved one is developing bruises and keep a record of each new bruise.
Infections
If seniors don’t take good care of their skin and keep it hydrated and moisturized they may develop cracks in their skin. Often these cracks are small and not painful but they do let in bacteria that can cause infections. Seniors who are taking a lot of medications may have a suppressed immune system because of the medications that they take and that can make it hard for their bodies to get rid of that infection. Your senior loved one may need antibiotics or other medications if they don’t take good care of their skin.
Dry, Flaking Skin Can be Attended to by Elder Care Aides
Dry and flaking skin can become so severe that is painful or very uncomfortable for your senior loved one. An elder care provider can be a big help to seniors who need some help keeping their skin healthy. Elder care providers can help seniors moisturize their skin and examine their skin to make sure it’s not cracking or flaking so much that it’s becoming a medical issue. Elder care providers can also make sure that seniors aren’t bathing in water that is too hot or using drying soaps that can lead to more skin dryness.
Signs Of Illness That Shouldn’t Be Ignored
A senior’s skin condition can also say a lot about that senior’s health. Some medical conditions like diabetes can cause chronic dry and flakey patches. And skin problems can also be a symptom of other health conditions like skin cancer. Changes in the appearance of the skin or the development of moles or skin tags should always be reported to your senior love one’s doctor so that the doctor who treats them will be aware of changes in your senior loved one’s skin and medical condition.
Sources: https://www.todaysgeriatricmedicine.com/archive/091712p18.shtml
https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/skin-care-and-aging#dryskin
If you or an aging loved-one are considering Elder Care Services in Malibu CA, please contact the caring staff at Assisting Hearts Home Care today. Proudly Serving the Los Angeles & Ventura County. Call us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week! (805) 371-0033, (818) 593-0094.
Our team is comprised of highly experienced and dedicated professionals who are focused on providing exceptional in-home care services to our clients and their families.We are proud to have served thousands of individuals and families since our inception.
Assisting Hearts Home Care was established in 2008 by two professionals a husband and wife team who started the company after personally experiencing the challenges of caring for their aging parents and grandparents. They experienced first-hand at how difficult it was to find care that worked around your schedule and not the schedule of the agency with caring and dedicated caregivers. Since January 2008 Assisting Hearts Home Care has been owned and operated by Robert Ruetschle.Prior to opening Assisting Hearts Home Care, Robert was in upper management of a national pharmaceutical manufacturing company and he holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry. Robert is passionate about supporting our older adult community and helping individuals age with dignity and grace in their own homes.
It is our mission to give peace of mind to our clients and their families by providing exceptional care.Our caregivers are also supported by an office staff of Senior Advisors and advanced CNA’s.Our team looks forward to getting to know each client and family personally.
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