Seniors often experience a wide range of skin problems and illnesses. The skin is the largest organ of the body, and as seniors age the skin get thinner and more susceptible to damage and infections. Seniors who have physical challenges that make it difficult for them to do things like bathe or keep their skin dry should have personal care at home. When seniors have personal care at home, they are much less likely to develop these common types of skin problems.

Eczema

Eczema is something that can affect anyone at any age, but it tends to affect seniors in greater numbers than other age groups. Eczema causes dry, itchy, red patches on the skin that can scale over or even develop small blistery sores. There is no cure for eczema, but keeping skin clean and dry can help manage the symptoms.

Medication and light therapy can also help in some cases. If your senior parent has eczema that gets worse in the winter try a natural sun lamp or light therapy to see if that helps.

Pruritus

Pruritus is the most common type of skin condition in seniors. There are many things can cause it including bug bites, allergies, eczema, medications, and environmental factors like dry air, dust, mites, and more. Pruritus causes an overwhelming itch, and when seniors scratch the itch they can cause tears and cuts in the skin.

When those cuts and scratches get infected it can lead to cellulitis and serious health problems. Seniors can avoid pruritus by washing their hands frequently, running a humidifier to get rid of dry indoor air, using a high quality lotion to keep their skin from getting dry, and keeping the house clean and allergen free.

Scabies

Scabies is a skin disease caused by contact with someone infected with scabies or by contact with mites that carry it. In seniors this skin problem often develops in the webs of their fingers, the cracks between their toes, and on the soles of the feet.

The doctor can prescribe a cream that can help get rid of the mites and any infection caused by a senior scratching open their skin due to the itch. Even though many people think scabies is caused by poor hygiene it’s not. However, washing bedding frequently in hot water can help prevent scabies. Having a personal care at home provider can help with the laundry to ensure a cleaner environment.

Bruises

Seniors bruise more easily than younger people do because their skin is very fine and delicate. Especially as they lose more and more of the fat pad under their skin. Bruises in seniors can become serious and may hide small tears in the skin that are caused by knocking into things or falling over. Those tears can become infected over time.

There’s no way to heal a bruise, the body has to do that. But icing a bruise soon after the injury can help make the bruise less intense. Regular icing can help get the blood flowing which can breakup the pooled blood in the bruise and help it heal faster.

If you or an aging loved one are considering hiring Personal Care at Home in Pleasant Hill, CA contact the friendly staff at Home Care Professionals today.
Call (866)-940-4855

Andy Howard CEO at HomeCare Professionals

Andy Howard is a Bay Area Native who holds a BA in Political Science (University of Colorado at Boulder, ’97). After college Andy worked in the surging tech industry. His Grandmother however, would suffer a significant decline in health and ultimately needed in-home care. The experience of a loved one depending on outside help to age in place proved to be pivotal for Andy as he left the tech industry in 2002 for an opportunity in the home care world with a large provider. After having success in home care, but being frustrated by corporate constraints Andy founded HomeCare Professionals in 2005. He methodically built the company one client at a time by focusing on hiring quality caregivers to ensure positive outcomes. Currently Andy serves as the CEO of HomeCare Professionals and is also highly active in the non-profit organization California Association of Health Services at Home (CAHSAH) which advocates for a higher standard of in-home care for those who wish to remain living at home in California.

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