Promoting Healthy Skin in Older People

An integral part of the Dermatology Liaison Nurse Service is to offer advice, support and education within all care settings on the management of skin disease.

Within Care of the Elderly units, a need is identified to shift the emphasis from skin disease management, towards promoting healthy skin and maintaining skin integrity. The Care< Commission guidance (Scottish Statutory Instrument 2002 No. 114) emphasises the provision of appropriately trained staff offering a quality service appropriate to needs.

Promoting healthy skin in older people not only prevents physical skin deterioration, but
also has a major impact on their Quality of Life (Penzer 2003)

In November 2000, the Associate Parliamentary Group on Skin published their document highlighting the problems that older people with skin disease experienced within the care setting (APGS 2000). This report highlights that skin care needs of the elderly population are often neglected due to a number of reasons, not least, lack of education and training for healthcare professionals.

This Resource Pack has been developed as an educational tool to assist trained healthcare professionals disseminate the necessary knowledge and skills gained at the training session, to all members of staff working within their establishment on the ‘Basics of Skin Care’.

Further information and help is available from your local Dermatology Liaison Nurse:

See Also

Subjects

• Dermatology

Publications

• Promoting Healthy Skin in Older People: The Basics of Skincare(02 Oct 2011)
• Promoting Healthy Skin in Older People: The Basics of Skincare - Best Practice Statement(02 Oct 2011)
• Promoting Healthy Skin in Older People: The Basics of Skincare - Teaching Notes(02 Oct 2011)