Over time a person’s skin ages. It can wrinkle and lose elasticity. This can cause bruising and tears to occur on your elderly loved one’s skin. As a family caregiver, it is important to learn all you can about skin tears. By doing this, you can provide your elderly loved one with the best care possible.
Skin Tear Causes in Elderly Adults
There are several causes of skin tears in the elderly. They generally occur from an accident. Something as simple as bumping into a door, cabinet, or piece of furniture can result in a skin tear. Most of the time, a skin tear occurs from direct trauma to the skin. When you think about trauma, your first thoughts are probably tragedy, a serious accident, or other types of major accidents. However, a simple bump can cause trauma to the skin. The best thing that you can do for your elderly loved one is to help them prevent skin tears before they happen.
Skin Tear Prevention in Elderly Adults
There are many ways to help your elderly loved one to prevent skin tears. Some of these things your elderly loved one can do in their own home. Some of these include the following:
Moisturizer – Encourage your elderly loved one to regularly apply moisturizers on their arms and legs. This is especially important if your elderly loved one lives in an area of the country that has a colder, dryer climate.
- A good diet – Eating the right foods can help reduce the risk of skin tears, as well. You should try getting your elderly loved one to eat more fish, tomatoes, spinach, and nuts.
- Water – Staying hydrated can keep your elderly loved one’s skin healthier, too. When a person gets dehydrated, their skin becomes dry. This can cause their skin to tear easier.
- Properly arrange furniture – This will help to ensure that your elderly loved one doesn’t bump into anything that can cause skin tears.
These are some of the prevention tips for skin tears. If you and caregivers help your elderly loved one to do these things, they can reduce their risk of skin tears.
Skin Tear Treatments for Elderly Adults
If your elderly loved one does get a skin tear, the most important thing to do is to make sure it doesn’t get infected. You can start by making sure the area is well-protected. If you find that the skin flap around the tear is attached and doesn’t seem to be damaged, you might be able to fold it back in place. Afterward, you should put a light dressing on the flap. If you feel uncomfortable with this type of care, you should contact your elderly loved one’s doctor for guidance.
Conclusion
Skin tears are fairly common in elderly adults. However, it is important to try and prevent them from happening to your elderly loved one. You can try some of the prevention tips here today and help your loved one take care of their skin if they do get a skin tear.
If you or an aging loved-one are considering hiring a Caregiver in Oakland, CA, contact the friendly staff at Home Care Professionals today.
Call (866)-940-4855
Sources
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
