chevron-right
chevron-left
chevron-down
chevron-up
chevron-circle-up
chevron-circle-right
chevron-circle-down
chevron-circle-left
Facebook Logo
Twitter Logo
Linkedin Logo
Youtube Logo
Instagram Logo
Google Plus Logo
Vimeo Logo
Issuu Logo
Right arrow
Left arrow
Location
Search
Phone Icon
Services
Care Coordination
Home Care
Senior Care
Home Nursing Services
At Home Therapies
Respite Care
Home Care FAQ
Transitional Care
Hospice
Bereavement & Grief
Hospice & Alzheimers
Hospice Costs
Hospice Pet Therapy
Special Care Programs
Your Care Team
Specialized Home Care
Patient-Centered Dementia Care
Arthritis
Congestive Heart Failure
Huntington’s Disease
Hypertension / Blood Pressure
Coronary Artery Disease
Diabetes
COPD
Joint Replacement
Mental Health and Depression
Home Care Support for Multiple Sclerosis
Palliative Care
Paraplegia and Quadriplegia
Parkinson's Disease
Pediatric Care
Traumatic Brain Injury
Ventilator Care
Wound Care
Veterans Care
Staffing
Staffing FAQ
COVID-19 Vaccination Staffing
Careers
About Us
COVID-19 Update
Our Standard of Care
Our History
Franchise Leader
Caring Brands International
Press Releases
Honoring Veterans
Historic Milestones
Contact Us
Resources
Home Care Resources
Jobs in Healthcare Guide
Find A Location
Independent Living Assessment
Blog
Franchising
Facebook
Linkedin
Twitter
Youtube
Instagram
4 Tips to Help Your Senior Loved One Avoid Psoriasis Flare-ups
Posted: 1/19/2016 8:36 AM by
Interim HealthCare
Psoriasis can be embarrassing, especially during a flare-up when your loved one's skin can become red and scaly. It's also painful, and a diagnosis of psoriasis can be overwhelming both to you and to your loved one. The best option for you as a family caregiver is to help your loved one to do everything that she can in order to avoid a flare-up. Once her psoriasis is under better control, she'll feel much better.
Educate Yourself about Psoriasis
Learn as much as you can about psoriasis. This means reading whatever you can find as well as talking to your loved one's doctors and care providers. The more that you know about psoriasis, the better you are going to be able to help your loved one avoid triggers and keep the flare-ups at bay. You will also be better able to inform other people, who help your loved one, about psoriasis and about what they can do.
Wash Skin Gently
Always wash your loved one's skin gently. A fragrance-free soap designed for sensitive skin can help, as can lukewarm water rather than hot water. You want to use products that help to add moisture to the skin rather than drying it out. Avoid scrubbing at the skin since that can cause flare-ups and injury. Try to keep showers and baths short so that they're less likely to dry out your loved one's skin. Also, when bath time is over, pat skin dry instead of rubbing it.
Moisturize Well
Scratching can cause problems for people with psoriasis and a good way to keep from scratching is to keep the skin moisturized. After a bath or shower, make sure that you apply moisturizer thoroughly. You may also need to reapply moisturizers throughout the day if your loved one's skin starts to feel dry, tight, or itchy. Check with her doctor to find out if there is a particular moisturizer that can help her.
Protect the Skin
Above all, help your loved one to keep her skin protected. Injuries can become flare-ups later, which is something called the Koebner phenomenon. Insect bites, scratches, and scrapes are all susceptible to becoming a flare-up later. When she's going outside, opt for long sleeves and pants, especially when insects are likely to be a problem. Keeping her skin as safe as possible can help it to remain free of lesions.
Ask your loved one's doctor what else you can do for her to help keep her psoriasis under control.
If you have an aging loved one in need of
senior care
contact Interim HealthCare today.