Final answer:
When assessing skin in older adults, nurses should consider decreased skin elasticity, integrity, and healing abilities due to aging. Accessory structures like hair and nails become thinner, sebum and sweat production declines, and skin becomes more prone to wrinkling and sagging.
Step-by-step explanation:
When assessing the skin in the elder, a nurse should consider age-related changes such as a decrease in skin elasticity, thinner and drier skin, reduced wound healing capacity, and a decline in overall skin integrity. These changes reflect a combination of factors including decreased mitosis in the stratum basale, resulting in a thinner epidermis, while the dermis exhibits reduced regeneration leading to slower wound healing. Additionally, the hypodermis experiences loss of structure and redistribution of fat, contributing to skin sagging.
Furthermore, accessory structures exhibit lowered activity, causing thinner hair and nails, along with reduced sebum and sweat production. This can lead to intolerance to extreme heat due to diminished sweating ability. There's also an increased likelihood of wrinkling due to decreased collagen and elastin in the dermis, weakening of underlying muscles, and reduced skin moisture retention.
Understanding these changes is essential as they have implications on skin health, susceptibility to skin injuries, and the process of wound healing. The nurse should also recognize that cultural perceptions of aging may influence the individual's experience and approach to skin care in their late adulthood.