From the clinic #5: Moisturising made easy for the elderly

“Necessity is the mother of invention” 

An eighty-two year old lady with troublesome chronic atopic eczema came to her second clinic visit for The Combined Approach. After review of her week using the hand tally counter to measure her scratching frequency, we began our treatment protocol with a discussion on the best way to use her moisturisers.

One of the problems the elderly have with treating the skin can be physical restrictions in movement, making it difficult to apply creams to some body parts - the back, for example.

“Oh, that problem is solved!”, she said with a smile, “I have my guardsman to put my creams on!”.
When we looked surprised, she laughed and explained: “He’s not what you think: he was a present from my grandchildren. It’s really a stick with a sponge on the end, meant for doing the washing-up. But it looks like a guardsman! I found he is really great for putting on creams now, in places I can’t get to on my own”.

                                                                       

We congratulated her on her idea, and also researched an even better, purpose designed cream applicator :

                                                                


NB: This clever applicator has washable replacement pads to prevent it becoming a breeding ground for unfriendly germs



See: Atopic eczema in the elderly