Very thin skin elderly mum, any advice?

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Hi, my lovely mum is 77, she has very thin skin which bruises and marks very easily. She recently knocked her arm out shopping and through a coat and a jumper took the skin off. The wound has taken ages to heal with regular appointments with the nurse and the GP. She is on some medication which is probably contributing to this but is very mobile and fit. Any advice as to any supplements or creams or anything else which might help? She is going to discuss with her GP too.

It’s really unfortunate, I have the same problem (I’m 70) and I don’t think there’s anything that you can do other than being careful and keeping the skin well moisturised - I use E45 cream in a big tub.
I’ve had skin tears from a dog jumping up, knocking my shin on a cupboard and catching my arm on a door latch. I use strip trips to try and ‘stick’ the skin back down and hypoallergenic plasters.

Thank you @MistyMooninabluesky , I'm sorry you have the same issue. I will talk to her about moisturising her skin in case she isn't doing this already.

My dad has this exact issue. I suspect that very dry skin contributes to the problem, but he hasn't moisturised in 80+ years, I'm not optimistic he's going to start now. I have bought him moisturising SPF for his face, so maybe I can try to convince him to use a similar product elsewhere.

Any other suggestions gratefully received as I am fairly certain I will suffer as I get older and so will DS.

My skin is the same and the only thing that I know to help is plenty of moisturing. Don't soak in the bath and use an emollient in the shower.

Also, do get seen by GP/Minor Injuries Unit etc. if a cut looks like it is becoming infected as you then need antibiotics.

Oral collagen supplements. Look at the different types- different ones for skin nails joints etc but all may be useful for her anyway

Sorry OP - I'm hijacking your thread - but this is helpful. I will put money on my dad using soap that's practically paint stripper. I wonder if I can convince him to swap to a cleansing oil...... (it's a huge worry for us - last time, he landed up with a wound that took 6 weeks to heal. The time before, he got a terrible infection and had to be hospitalised. On another occasion, as I understand it, my brother and SIL were worried he was going to bleed to death as by the time they turned up it had been bleeding for hours and the smallest thing reopened the wound....)

By types I mean I, II, III, IV etc not the branding/marketing

I wouldn't try very hard to get a GO appt about this as there is nothing they can do. It's common at this age to have friable skin, we lose our subcutaneous fat at that age, the blood vessels are closer to the surface hence the bruising. As someone else said, keep moisturising and attend promptly with any skin flap injuries especially those to the lower leg as managing at home frequently leads to ulceration

Fortisip or ensure are good for liquid nutrition.. until she feels she can eat more. Moving onto soups possibly porridge pouches. An aqueous cream slathered under soft clothing for her body. Gentle massage. Indeed, a lot of meditation contributes to the skin thinning and easy bruising. Best of luck to you and your lovely mum. I worked in domicilary care for two years throughout lockdown so just sharing things I picked up. X

Thanks @KingandIfan that is really good advice, she does really enjoy a good soak in the bath... I wonder if there's anything she can put in it to negate the drying out effects in there?

Sorry to hear your dad has the same issue @SavBlancTonight , sounds like he's had a difficult time with it. I hope my mum doesn't have such a severe wound and hope your dad doesn't have a reoccurrence.

@ringoutsolsticebells she's seeing the GP soon to talk about another matter so was going to ask about it then. I think it's important as it could lead to real problems as @SavBlancTonight 's dad has experienced.

Thanks @Gingerbeerfear although there's no problem with eating, just the thin skin.

You could request a moisturizer for the GP, apply it at least twice a day. Also look at her diet to ensure she's getting enough vitamins ect which will help with general recovery if she gets another skin tear

Hi OP i took my dad to the GP for an unrelated issue , but he has the same problem with his skin (hes 79) She gave him a big pot of cream, think similar to E45. Might be worth taking her to GP as moisturisers over the counter can be expensive. Also, regular showering/ bathing can dry the skin out so maybe limit how often she does this.

Is she on a blood thinner medication? If so there's unfortunately nothing that'll help with the bruising etc.

When my Dad was in a care home the dietician suggested a high protein diet for him to improve skin something (I can't remember what she called it but it meant less fragile and prone to bed sores). He wasn't keen on eating but they fed him cheese which he loved.

Hydrocolloidal dressings are great for that type of skin tear. I get Duoderm prescribed by my GP. You need a size so there is a good 3cms or more around the wound and you leave them on for several days before changing. She could also go to the GP practice to get them dressed, which I did when I tore the skin on my leg. It's a real nuisance to manage and I've done a lot of damage on stupid things like door handles.

Please be careful with the cleansing oils / shower creams as they can really cause a very slippery surface underfoot in the shower /bathroom leading to falls.

A friend with a similar issue had her wound treated by the nurse with manuka honey impregnated dressings - apparently very effective.

My mum has exactly the same issue - there's no way I'll persuade her against her daily soak in the bath but will suggest E45 cream for moisturising.

E45 do a bath oil that might be useful @mamaduckbone , it doesn’t seem to make my bath slippery. There’s probably cheaper versions available too.

My dad hasn't had a bath in 50 years so that's not an option for him, but for dry skin I cannot recommend Bio Oil as a bath oil more highly - incredibly nourishing and moisturising in the bath. I have been using it as a bath oil since I was a teenager and regularly insist my children bath in it as they are so anti moisterisers.

For very elderly people, make sure it doesn't make the bath too slippery but to be honest, we don't find it a problem so it should be okay although I guess it depends a little on the surface of your bath.

Retired nurse here a very good moisturiser is 50.50 paraffin or E 45 which is probably more user friendly post bath
I would be careful adding oils to a bath in case of slips tbh but some Porridge oats tied inside a sock is nice
Make sure she is drinking plenty and having a high protein diet to help heal her skin
It's surprising how little older people sometimes eat and drink
Hope she recovers soon