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Caring for an Older Person's Skin - Coggle Diagram

- - - - Treatments for atopic eczema can help to ease the symptoms. There's no cure, but many children find their symptoms naturally improve as they get older.
      - The main treatments for atopic eczema are:
        
        Emollients (moistures) which are used every day to stop the skin becoming dry
        
        -Topical Corticosteroids, creams and ointment which are used to reduce swelling and redness during flare-ups
  - - - Stop the burning process as soon as possible. This may mean removing the person from the area, dousing flames with water, or smothering flames with a blanket. Do not put yourself at risk of getting burnt as well.
      - Remove any clothing or jewellery near the burnt area of skin, including babies' nappies. But do not try to remove anything that's stuck to the burnt skin, as this could cause more damage.
      - Cool the burn with cool or lukewarm running water for 20 minutes as soon as possible after the injury. Never use ice, iced water, or any creams or greasy substances like butter.
      - Keep yourself or the person warm. Use a blanket or layers of clothing, but avoid putting them on the injured area. Keeping warm will prevent hypothermia, where a person's body temperature drops below 35C (95F). This is a risk if you're cooling a large burnt area, particularly in young children and elderly people.
      - Cover the burn with cling film. Lay the cling film over the burn, rather than wrapping it around a limb. A clean, clear plastic bag can be used for burns on your hand.
      - Treat the pain from a burn with paracetamol or ibuprofen. Always check the manufacturer's instructions when using over-the-counter medication. Children under 16 years of age should not be given aspirin.
      - Raise the affected area, if possible. This will hep to reduce swelling.
- - - - Blood capillaries within the dermis supply oxygen, nutrients and fluid to the skin to maintain health and function. Healthy, well-hydrated skin appears plump, smooth and firm to the touch.
    - - Sensory nerves in the skin respond and alert the individual when approaching a very hot/cold environment to protect from injury
      - These nerves also cause a regular change in position as discomfort is registered unconsciously
      - Sebum produced in the sebaceous glands is a natural lubricant and prevents superficial breaks in the skin
      - The skin has a pH between 4-6.5 depending on the area of the body, protecting it from bacterial invasion
  - - - Sensory nerves do not function as promptly in the ageing skin, leading to a slower response to excessive hear.cold and causing less spontaneous movement
      - Less sebum is produced, skin becomes dry and more prone to injury
      - If the skin is drier and the pH is altered due to overuse of soap, this makes skin more vulnerable to dryness and cracks, affecting up to 80% of older people and increasing the possibility of dermal infection
      - If any of the way to protect the skin deteriorate then that may lead to a breach in the body's barrier defence
    - - The number of blood capillaries are reduced, lessening the amount of oxygen, nutrients and fluid reaching the skin and leading to a decrease in the bulk of the dermis
      - Skin becomes drier and more prone to injury
      - With age, less sebum is produced by sebaceous glands within the skin, so the skin becomes dry. Elderly skin appears finer, lined, dry and moves easily with light pressure
- - - - After any episodes of incontinence the skin should be cleaned with a product that will remove urine or faeces without harming the skin such as a cleansing foam