Home Care in Irvine CA
It’s an interesting relationship we have with the sun. We can’t wait for it to be shining down upon us, warming both us and the Earth. But then we have to go out of our way to protect ourselves from it when it finally does come poking its head through. Since the skin becomes more delicate and vulnerable as we age, it’s especially important for seniors to limit their sun exposure as much as possible and to protect their skin from damage caused by the sun.
While National Sun Safety Week is June 5-11, here are some simple, straight-forward ways to help the senior you’re providing home care for to guard against too much sun any day of the week, throughout the entire summer.
- Stay inside during peak sunlight hours. The American Academy of Dermatology says that the sun’s rays are strongest in North America between 10 am and 4 pm. Take special care to stay inside or in a shaded area during these hours.
- Use sunscreen daily whenever going outside for more than 15 minutes at a time. Make sunscreen a part of your daily routine. Even walking to and from the car or passing by sunny windows while indoors can expose your skin to dangerous UV rays. The American Academy of Dermatology recommends using sunscreen of SPF 30 on any exposed skin every day, whether you’ll be inside or out. It’s also important to note that sunscreens with an SPF lower than 15 must now include a warning on the label stating that the product has been shown only to help prevent sunburn, not skin cancer or early skin aging.
- Avoid tanning or getting a sunburn. The Skin Cancer Foundation says tans and sunburns increase your risk of getting skin cancer.
- Apply sunscreen to every exposed part of the body 30 minutes before going into the sun. Reapply every two hours if swimming or sweating excessively.
- Wear protective clothing outdoors. Loose, lightweight, light-colored long pants and long sleeved shirts are ideal sun protection garb for older adults because they don’t have to be reapplied like sunscreen, and can offer better protection. Make sure they have a tight weave so sun can’t sneak through. Also wear a wide-brimmed hat or cap, and dark, UV-blocking sunglasses. For the car, consider UV-blocking window shades or tinting, but be sure to adhere to regulations regarding tinted windows.
- Use moisturizer. As skin ages, it becomes more prone to dryness, which can be made worse by sun damage. Keep skin moist with a lotion or cream to help protect it.
- Stay hydrated when in the sun.
- If something on the skin looks unusual or appears to be growing or otherwise changing, seek out the advice of a dermatologist with expertise in skin cancer.
If you or an aging loved one are considering home care in Irvine, CA, please contact the caring staff at Canaan Home Care today! 1-844-CANAAN-1 (1-844-226-2261)
Sources:
www.skincancer.org
http://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancercauses/sunanduvexposure/skincancerpreventionandearlydetection/skin-cancer-prevention-and-early-detection-u-v-protection
- Follow These Four Steps and Create a Respite Plan - December 18, 2020
- End of the Year Holidays Can Cause Aging Veterans to Feel Lonely, but What About Home Care? - December 11, 2020
- Is Your Senior Battling Edema in Her Legs? - December 3, 2020
