That's right. Our largest organ! It tells us a lot about what is going on with our loved ones. The main job of our skin is to protect us. It keeps infections out, keeps us warm (shivering or goosebumps), cools us down (sweating), and our touch and sensations – very important when someone is sick. A topic that is often overlooked, but very important, is basic skin care for fragile skin.
Bed sores (pressure injuries) occur on a pressure point, which is anywhere a bony part of the
body hits the bed or chair. Our tailbone, heels, butt bones, elbows, spine, or back of the head (see photo for other areas). Don’t forget to check the nose or behind the ears if someone wears oxygen or a Bipap mask. The two places with the most problems are our heels and our buttock/sacrum. When someone stays in the same position too long, the pressure starts to cut off the good blood flow to the area and can create a wound. The first sign that something is happening is a color change. Usually we see a pinkish/red color change. The easiest thing to do is to move the person around or ‘off-load’ the area (see heel photo) which allows the blood to flow back to the area. Ideally, we want to move every hour when sitting in a chair and every 2 hours when in bed. That is not always easy. You could set an alarm for every few hours to remind you to reposition your loved one. Basic hygiene does a lot of good for fragile skin. Look for gentle soaps and nothing with a strong fragrance, think Dove soap. A fragrant soap might smell good, but the perfume in the soap can actually be more irritating to the skin, especially if someone has fragile sensitive skin, or is just sensitive to smells. Clean these areas with soap and water, dry well. Try to clean every day or every other day. On our heels, elbows and our buttocks, fragrance free lotions and moisturizers are great. And the best part, many options are available at the dollar store, so it won’t break the bank.
Comments