Of all the injuries that our Homeplace residents will encounter, probably the minor injury that most often occurs is a skin tear. As we all age, we lose the elasticity, and that often leaves skin dry, paper-like, and easily torn.
In general, there’s no way to prevent every injury at Homeplace of Henderson—unfortunately, that’s the truth. But we certainly give every effort to first keep our residents safe, and if an injury occurs, treat it in accordance of proper and accepted first-aid care so that the injury heals correctly.
And it’s the same with skin tears. Unfortunately, they are going to happen, but we’re going to do everything we can to limit them. The first thing to know is that, in our experience caring for aging residents, we’ve learned that skin tears most often come from a fall. One of the first things we do is teach our residents the best ways to keep themselves from falling. We make sure they are aware of their surroundings, ensure that obstructions don’t block their walking paths, and check that their lighting is always sufficient to see when they are walking. We also make sure we have enough people on staff at all times so that each resident can have help transferring and ambulating, if needed. Residents also often acquire skin tears when they bump into something or get clothes snagged as they’re moving about, and the same preventive measures are in place to keep those at bay, too.
In addition, we use other preventative measures. We use creams and lotions to moisturize residents’ skin after bathing. We make sure our residents drink enough water because staying hydrated is another way to keep the skin healthy.
But after all that, when a resident does have a skin tear, our staff takes immediate action. First, we have full first aid kits in each pod of our facility, so approved medical supplies are always close. All our staff must receive a first aid certification. Each know how to properly dress a wound so that no further damage occurs. After the injury has been appropriately addressed, we then decide if a resident needs more specialized medical care. Some of the tears will be minor and nothing more needs to be done. But others, likely with those residents whose medications are blood thinners, might need to visit a doctor. And that’s something we can take care of, or we work with the elderly loved one’s family to set up and transport him to the medical facility.
It’s worth repeating that we at Homeplace do everything we can to prevent all injuries, including skin tears. But inevitably, they are going to happen. When they do, we will be ready to take care of your loved one with the attention you expect and he deserves. That’s just what we do.
To contact the Homeplace of Henderson, email Jessica Beaven at jessica.beaven@homeplaceofhenderson.com or call at (270) 577-0534.