what are problems could develop with elderly if skin care's not maintained by nurses?

[kcvo]

mrs florence lee (94 yrs old) is a resident of the jasmine waters retirement village. she has recently moved from the self care facility to the nursing home facility due to developing dementia and increased care needs.

florence has led an active life, surfing in her youth and enjoying lawn bowls until her mid 80's . now she prefers to watch sport on tv as it gets too hot for her outside. her daughter reported she has had "meals on wheels" for 3 years, but often forgets to eat the meals. she seems unaware when she spills her hot black tea on her handsor lets her cigarette burn down. she is also forgetting to wash her hands after toileting. her skin has become very dry, pale and thin, tearing easily even when she simply scratches an itch.

what are the two problems/consequences of lack of skin awareness in nursing care that could develop with elderly in nursing home?

i'm thinking of skin tear/breakdown,pressure sores,skin cancer in her case.or maybe risk of other skin conditions eg eczema & impetigo. am i on the right track?

[Italia23]

Sounds good but u should add increased risk for infection bc if she has decreased skin integrity her integumentary system aka skin is going to compromise her health bc the skin is the first line off defense against infection.

[NCRNMDM, ASN, RN]

I agree with you when you say that she is at an increased risk of developing decubitus ulcers, skin breakdown, etc. However, I think you also need to look at the fact that this patient is at an increased risk of infection as the skin breaks down before you consider the risk of skin diseases. If the nursing staff does not insure adequate skin care is provided, the skin can begin to break down, and since the skin is the first line of defense against infections, this puts the patient at an increased risk for infections. Remember that staphylococcus, and other bacteria, thrive on the skin and, once the skin breaks down, they have a portal of entry into the body.