You may have noticed how your loved one’s skin has changed over the years. As we age, our skin naturally loses fat and is no longer as smooth as it once was. It becomes thinner and weaker. Scratches, cuts, or bumps can take longer to heal.
Various factors can damage skin in the long term:
- health condition
- smoking
- dry air
- not drinking enough liquids
- stress
- years of sun tanning
- changes in skin condition can also be a result of poor nutrition
Also, with age, the skin produces less of its natural protective oils. That can lead to wrinkles, dryness and age spots.
All of those factors put an elderly person’s skin at risk of damage. Which is why you need to protect your loved one’s skin from incontinence as much as you can. If unchecked, urine and/or feces could damage it. Areas most in need of protection are near the hips, genitals, and between the pelvis and rectum (perineal skin).