Atopic Eczema and Attitude to the Elderly: 1

Attitude is the mindset that predicts behaviour. Consequences of behaviour can therefore be linked back to attitude. Before reviewing the significance of attitudes held by the elderly with atopic eczema, let’s first consider the influence of others...

Attitudes to the Elderly with Atopic Eczema

1. Understanding chronicity, and the elderly atopic

• It is important for those involved in the care and treatment of atopic eczema in the elderly to see that it is atopy, or the risk of getting eczema, that is unavoidable, and not the eczema itself

• Habitual scratching is the cause of chronic eczema, and the elderly are prone to habitual scratching. The result is the thickened skin called lichenification

• When others realize the effectiveness of The Combined Approach they can enable the atopic elderly person to “Live Without Eczema”.  There is now no need, even when they are old, to encourage anyone to “Live With Eczema”

2. Habits in the elderly, and habit reversal training

• The attitudes of others also influence how habit disorder in the elderly is understood and treated

• Whether chronic atopic eczema in the elderly first appears after sixty years of age, or has started earlier, the cause is a habitual behaviour that is very amenable to simple behaviour modification

• Despite the adage “you cannot teach an old dog new tricks”, habit reversal training is quickly successful in the elderly, and requires no special expertise in psychological treatment

3. Benefits of The Combined Approach for atopic eczema in the elderly

• The quality of life of the elderly prone to atopic eczema, and of those that live with them, is significantly improved by using The Combined Approach

• Spending time following The Combined Approach leads to less frequent and more effective use of moisturisers and topic steroids, less time seeking medical advice and more opportunity to enjoy life to the full

• Physical appearance is as important for the elderly as it is for the young. While some changes to the skin with age are unavoidable, chronic atopic eczema need no longer be a cause of embarrassment and self-consciousness