She stated that frailty and disability indicates the need for long-term care of elders. In such a condition, they will not be able to care for themselves and will require the help of caregivers. “Elders’ skin is different from that of youngsters – it suffers from various structural changes and functional degradations. Caregivers should be taught how to care for elders’ skin as part of their daily healthcare, such as keeping proper hygiene and avoiding too-frequent hot baths. However, prevention is always better than cure, something which is even more true in premature aging. It may seem boring and repetitive to you, but the best way is to live right is by consuming healthy and balanced foods, do sports routinely, have sufficient rest, stop smoking, and pursue routine use of sunscreen and other proper skin care products.”
During the same event, dr. Rinadewi Astriningrum, Sp.KK, emphasized the importance of using the correct soap for elders: pH level 5.5, one that contains a lot of moisturizers. “Avoid the use of antiseptic soaps or other soaps with excess perfumes and colorings. Also, don’t use bathing sponges or brushes to clean skin. Use soft terry cloths, and avoid brushing too hard,” she said. (est)