Caring For Ulcer Prone Skin

Learn more about great products to use. 

Many older individuals suffer from ulcer prone skin. Seniors often suffer from more skin problems because they have a thinner epidermal layer, and older skin produces less sebum. When you combine that with health problems and conditions many seniors face, such as diabetes, incontinence, etc. you can see why skin breakdown, ulcers, redness, and irritation can, and do, occur frequently. 

If you are a caregiver to an individual with ulcer prone skin, it is important to know how to care for that skin properly, giving it the best chance for healing, and how to prevent further skin breakdown and irritation from occurring.

1. Get the right incontinence products.

Thinning and reddening skin subject to ulcers is common in incontinent individuals. The area may be painful, firm, soft, warmer or cooler as compared to adjacent tissue. Ulcers and skin breakdown occur when the skin has prolonged exposure to urine and feces. This leads to an increase in skin pH, bacteria and wetness can cause the skin to weaken, and friction from washing the skin, and movement when skin is wet can lead to further skin breakdown. The right incontinence products can help.

Find a product that fits properly will reduce friction. Finding products with absorbent cores that can help wick moisture away from the skin between changes can help. The key is finding the right products for the absorbency need, and get the right fit.

Use The Incontinence Product Finder to help you sort through over 600 options, in order to find the best one for your needs.

2. Change absorbent products regularly and often.

While choosing the right absorbent products is important, it is also important to change them as soon as soiling occurs. The less the skin is exposed to urine and stool, the healthier it will be. This is especially important for individuals with ulcer prone skin. Reducing wetness, cleaning off bacteria, and protecting the skin are all needed for healthy skin. This is best achieved by regular changes.

3. Prevent and treat by cleaning and moisturizing the skin.

Caregivers can help to prevent ulcers even in ulcer prone skin by cleaning and moisturizing the skin regularly. Make a habit of practicing good skin care with each change of absorbent products. With each change, be sure to clean the skin. Try Lantiseptic No-Rinse Cleansing Foam. Then move on to moisturizing the skin with Lantiseptic Dry Skin Therapy. This will help to clear reddened skin and help maintain moisture balance.
Learn more about great products to use in a healthy skin care regimen for incontinent individuals. 

Watch this video: Maintaining Healthy Skin Among the Elderly Who Are Incontinent

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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. Visithttp://www.caregiverpartnership.com to learn more or call 1-800-985-1353.

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