As we age, we start to worry about things like hearing loss, cataracts, back and neck problems, and even osteoarthritis. While these are all valid issues and need to be taken care of as we get older, there is another organ that starts to deteriorate as well, and this is our skin. Because diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, liver disease, obesity, and stress can compromise the strength of an elderly individual’s skin, wound care becomes an essential part of the Winchester Terrace staff’s duties.
You can take plenty of actions to keep your skin looking young and refreshed as you age. You can use sunscreen daily to keep from damaging your skin with sun rays, avoid repetitive facial expressions, quit smoking, drink less alcohol, exercise most days of the week, and gently clean your skin regularly. Still, even these actions cannot guarantee that you will have great skin when you’re older.
Caring for chronic wounds becomes essential as we deal with residents whose skin barriers are getting weaker as they age. Because older skin has a slower rate of healing, elderly wound care is considered to be treating chronic wounds and ensuring that they don’t get any worse. This means if we cannot completely heal the wound right away, we may opt for an approach that only maintains the chronic wound while avoiding any further damage. There are a lot of factors that can hurt your skin while you are going about your daily life. Unfortunately, diseases are one of those factors that can wreak havoc on your skin. The wound care specialists at Winchester Terrace are determined to help make our residents’ days more comfortable, especially in their own skin.
If you want more information about Winchester Terrace's skilled nursing facility or to schedule a tour, we encourage you to call us at 419-756-4747 or contact us online.