Helping Keep Your Senior's Skin Healthy During the Drying Winter Season

Dry skin is a common issue during the winter months. Winter weather is very dry, and artificial heat inside buildings can further diminish moisture from the skin. This can be uncomfortable for anyone, but for an elderly adult, it can be even worse. As a family caregiver, it is important to recognize the significance of skin health and how it can impact your parents overall well-being. keeping skin moisturized and healthy helps to prevent tears and other damage to vulnerable, delicate senior skin, which can greatly reduce the risk of infections and other issues. Fortunately, there are simple ways you can protect your senior’s skin and keep it healthy and comfortable even during the drying winter season.

Some ways you can protect your senior’s skin and keep it healthy it during the dry winter months include:

• Use a humidifier in the home to add moisture back to the air. Not only will this help to counteract the drying effect, but it can also help to make the air feel warmer, which allows your parent to set the thermostat lower and save money
• Discourage your aging parent from bathing daily. Most people, particularly older adults, do not need to bathe on a daily basis during the winter months period. Excessive exposure to water can be extremely drying and irritating for the skin. Instead, use good hygiene on the more sensitive areas of the body and otherwise bathe every other day or every third day as needed
• Discourage your senior from taking very long baths or showers, or for using excessively hot water. Brief, warm baths or showers are best for the skin
• Use high quality moisturizing bath products including a very gentle exfoliator to remove dead skin cells and stimulates the production of new cells
• Immediately after getting out of the bath, gently pat the skin dry and apply a high-quality and moisturizer that does not contain irritating chemicals and preferably does not have water in its first few ingredients best. Body butters and oil based moisturizers are the most effective at locking moisture into the skin
• Re-apply moisturizer throughout the day as needed to keep the skin comfortable. If your senior is going out of the house, apply a generous layer of moisturizer before getting dressed to provide a barrier to the drying cold

Helping your elderly loved one keep their skin healthy and comfortable is just one of the many ways home care can benefit them. An in-home senior care services provider offers services to your parent that are completely customized to them and their needs. This means you as a family caregiver can feel confident that your parent is always getting the support that is right for them, both when you are available and when you are not. Care such as assistance with bathing, monitoring skin health, hydration support, meal preparation, and more can help your parent cope with the changes that come with aging and enjoy their best life.

If you or an aging loved one are considering elder care in Plainsboro, NJ, please contact the caring staff at Care Street Home Care Serving Somerset and Middlesex/Union Counties today. Call (732) 607-8870.