If your elderly loved one lives alone and has certain health conditions, they may be at risk for skin breakdown. Decubitus ulcers, also known as bedsores, can cause serious infections, and if not treated quickly, may invade the muscle tissue and bone. Here are some ways a live-in care aide can help keep your senior loved one's skin healthy and intact.
1. Incontinent Care
Aging adults who are incontinent of urine and stool may be at risk for skin breakdown if the perineal area is not quickly cleaned and dried after incontinent episodes. Urine and stool are highly irritating to the skin and can quickly cause excoriation. A live-in care aide can take your senior loved one to the bathroom as needed to help prevent incontinent episodes. If the person has an incontinent episode despite regular bathroom visits, the caregiver will thoroughly wash and dry the individual to help keep the skin intact.
If signs of redness or skin breakdown are noticed during incontinent care, the caregiver will notify you so that you can call the physician for treatment recommendations. The physician may recommend an over-the-counter barrier ointment such as petroleum jelly or zinc oxide cream to help protect the skin while promoting healing.
2. Diabetes Management
If your senior loved one has diabetes, then they may be at a greater risk for skin problems such as stasis ulcers and pressure sores. Skin problems in diabetic individuals may be more common in those who have extremely high blood glucose levels and in those who also have peripheral vascular disease.
A live-in care aide can help make sure that the elderly individual follows his or her physician's orders such as consuming a diabetic diet, taking prescribed medications, participating in daily exercise, and maintaining a healthy weight. These interventions will help keep blood sugar levels within normal limits, which will help lower the risk for skin problems such as stasis ulcers and pressure sores. The in-home caregiver can also prepare nutritious diabetes-friendly meals for the diabetic individual if they are unable to prepare their own meals.
If your senior loved one is at high risk for skin breakdown because of incontinence, diabetes, peripheral vascular disease, or immobility, then call a local home care agency today and speak to a representative. They will address your concerns and help you determine whether in-care home care is the right choice for you and your family.
Share19 January 2021
In the past, when I thought about home health care, I pictured an elderly man or woman stuck in bed just waiting to take his or her final breath. What I have recently learned is that there are people of all ages that can benefit from home health care specialists. When my niece was diagnosed with a rare liver disorder, our family rallied and did everything possible to make the new way of life as easy for my sister as possible. We spent hours over at her house helping with the baby, but then, my sister said she didn't need us as much --She had hired a home care aid. I hope this helps you in the future.
