Role of nurses in promoting the skin health of older people in the community
Intended for healthcare professionals
Evidence and practice    

Role of nurses in promoting the skin health of older people in the community

Fiona Cowdell Professor of nursing and health research, Faculty of Health, Education and Life Sciences, Birmingham City University, Birmingham, England

Why you should read this article:

• To understand the skin changes that occur as part of the ageing process

• To recognise the physical and psychosocial effects of age-related skin changes

• To enable you to promote the skin health of older people and provide advice about effective skin care practices

The skin is the largest organ of the body and provides protection for the vital organs, as well as having a significant role in processes such as temperature regulation. However, the ageing process involves degenerative changes such as reduced cell replacement and less efficient barrier function. These changes have physical and psychosocial consequences for older people such as increased susceptibility to skin damage and lowered self-esteem. This article details the age-associated changes that affect the skin, explores the self-reported skin concerns of older people living in the community, and examines the role of primary care nurses in promoting older people’s skin health.

Nursing Standard. doi: 10.7748/ns.2019.e11394

Peer review

This article has been subject to external double-blind peer review and checked for plagiarism using automated software

Correspondence

Fiona.cowdell@bcu.ac.uk

Conflict of interest

None declared

Cowdell F (2019) Role of nurses in promoting the skin health of older people in the community. Nursing Standard. doi: 10.7748/ns.2019.e11394

Published online: 15 July 2019

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