Keeping Elderly Skin Healthy and Protected

The skin of the elderly is highly prone to a number of diseases and disorders because of its decreased elasticity, thickness, and because of certain illnesses the elderly tend to have. One of the most common problems that affects the skin is congestive heart failure, which is the inability of the heart to expel sufficient blood to keep pace with the metabolic demands of the body. In the healthy individual, the heart can tolerate large increases of workload for a considerable length of time, but in an elderly person who has this problem it can have a negative effect on the skin's ability to heal. Because of these reasons, it is critical to keep elderly skin healthy and protected.

Keep elderly skin healthy and protected.

The good news is that some skin problems can be prevented by adhering to a few basic principles. One of the most important steps is making sure that your elderly loved one has a highly nutritional diet. If there is a suspected problem, a consultation with a dietician may be recommended. The dietician can work with both the elderly patient and the caregiver to determine the best way to increase the nutritional value of the elderly person’s diet, and thereby improve the condition of his or her skin. If supplements are called for, the CareGiver Partnership offers a wide variety of  nutritional supplements in easy to use forms, such as puddings, powders and juices, which help enable easy digestion.

                                    Tips on maintaining healthy skin as we age

Direct care of the skin is especially crucial as well. There are a number of products that can be used to care for the skin of the elderly. These include:

• Cleansing-Everyone needs to keep their skin clean to be healthy, and the elderly are no exception. Using a gentle cleanser is recommended. Studies show that skin that is regularly and gently cleansed is less likely to breakdown and have problem. At the CareGiver Partnership they offer the entire TriDerma line to help with skin cleansing.
  
  
• Moisturizing-After cleansing, the next important step is moisturizing. Due to the natural process of aging, and sometimes because of certain diseases or conditions, the elderly tend to suffer from extremely dry skin. Using a healing moisturizer is recommended.
  
  
• Problem skin-The elderly are also much more susceptible to having problems with their skin. This includes problems like: eczema, Rosacea and psoriasis.

• Wound care-This often becomes an issue for the elderly. This is especially true if your loved one is diabetic. Many diabetics have a very difficult time healing, and often need extended care for their skin. In addition if a senior has had surgery or other medical intervention, then skin can need extra care while healing. Your loved one may need products that can help with the relief of general skin irritations, pressure sores, diabetic ulcers, burns (including radiation from cancer treatment), and any other skin irritation.
  
  
• Incontinence skin care-There is a special need to care for the skin if your elderly loved one suffers from incontinence. If left untreated, this problem can cause the skin to quickly break down, and numerous problems arise as a result. This is especially crucial since all elderly skin is far more fragile then someone who is younger. 

One way to ensure healthy skin care is to apply appropriate lotions.

At the CareGiver Partnership they offer products that can help with elderly skin care.

About The CareGiver Partnership. The CareGiver Partnership helps caregivers and their loved ones with answers to their caregiving questions, including information about home health care products and supplies, from our Wisconsin-based team of Product Specialists who are all current or former caregivers. The company’s Web site provides the largest online library of resources on subjects most important to caregivers — from arthritis to assisted living, and Parkinson’s to prostate cancer — as well as access to more than 3,000 home care products for incontinence, skin care, mobility, home safety and daily living aids. The CareGiver Partnership was founded in 2004 by Lynn Wilson of Neenah, Wisc. Visit http://www.caregiverpartnership.com to learn more or call 1-800-985-1353.