What To Do If Your Senior Gets a Sunburn

By Jessica Ott | August 4, 2022 |

As a precaution against the sun’s harmful rays, seniors should constantly apply sunscreen to their skin. Sunburns may still occur even if elders take precautions to avoid getting them. As we become older, our skin becomes more vulnerable to burns. It’s a good idea to have a home care provider on hand to keep an eye on this. Having a professional around is an excellent way to ensure a senior is taking care of their body while aging in place.

Home Care Gettysburg PA – What To Do If Your Senior Gets a Sunburn

The fat pad under the skin thins as people age, making their skin more vulnerable to injury. As their skin ages, you may notice that your elderly parent regularly bruises and that their bruises seem quite black even if they bump themselves a little. Getting sunburn in the summer may be a real problem for the elderly. To their benefit, a number of options are available to older citizens suffering from sunburn.

They Can Get Home Care Providers

Elderly people who cannot care for themselves because of severe sunburn might benefit from in-home personal care. With the support of home care aides, elders can apply any prescribed medicines and check any burns they may have. To keep their skin protected throughout the summer, senior citizens should always have personal care products available to them.

They Can Use Cooling Gels

Over-the-counter sunburn cures such as aloe lotion and cooling gels have become quite popular in recent years. If your senior likes to grow indoor plants, aloe is also something they can grow in a pot and cut up for fresh aloe when needed. These products may help alleviate the discomfort and speed up the healing process of a sunburn. The gel should be kept in the refrigerator to maximize its cooling properties. In the summer, when seniors may easily be sunburned merely by walking out to the mailbox to retrieve their mail, sunscreen creams and gels should be basic equipment in every household.

Seniors Can Take Cool Baths

A great technique to soothe a sunburn is a cool bath or shower. Having a caregiver on hand to assist an elderly family member with personal care tasks like bathing and showering is a necessary safety precaution. Home care assistance eliminates the risk of a senior family member tripping and falling in the restroom. A caregiver will also ensure that the water temperature is perfect to offer comfort without being too chilly.

Always Use Sun Protection Like SPF

Preventing a sunburn is always preferable to treating an existing one. Taking sun protection seriously is especially important for senior people. Wearing light layers of clothes, such as shirts with sleeves, or at the very least long trousers, may help shield seniors’ skin from the sun’s harmful rays while they’re outdoors in the summer. Even in the winter, the sun’s UV radiation may cause skin damage and burns; therefore seniors should always use sunscreen. Elders need to protect themselves from the sun’s harmful rays by wearing a hat and sunglasses. When it comes to elderly people and the sun, it’s always better to be safe than sorry.

If you or an aging loved one are considering Home Care Services in Gettysburg PA, please talk to us. Our friendly staff can answer all of your questions. In-home Senior Care in Adams and York Counties, PA. Call Today: (717) 698-8258.

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Jessica Ott

Owner at A Helping Hand Home Care Services, LLC

Jessica Ott is the Owner at A Helping Hand Home Care Services, LLC.

A Helping Hand Home Care Services, LLC is dedicated to providing our clients with a better quality of life through our support services while maintaining their independence in the comfort of their own home.

As a Home Care Agency licensed by the Pennsylvania Department of Health, we can provide families with peace of mind, knowing their loved one is in good hands.

We will work with you to prepare a care plan that incorporates your needs, your wishes, and your preferred schedule. Each client is matched with a caregiver who can best meet their individual needs, whether they reside in a house, apartment, condominium, assisted living, or nursing community.