5 Things Every Senior Should Do To Prevent Skin Cancer

May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month. It’s also the time of the year when the weather starts getting warmer and everyone, including seniors, wants to spend more time outdoors. But seniors need to be very careful to protect their skin when they are going to be outdoors or exposed to sunlight. Skin cancer affects more than 1 in 5 people, so seniors need to do everything they can to lower their risk of developing it. Some things that your senior loved one can do to help protect themselves from skin cancer are:

Wear Sun Protection Daily

One of the simplest but most effective ways for seniors to protect their skin is to wear sunscreen every day. A high quality sun screen with an SPF of at least 30 will provide great skin protection for seniors. If your senior loved one has personal care at home, they can remind them to put on their sunscreen each day or help them apply it in the morning and throughout the day. For best results sunscreen should be applied at regular intervals.

Wear Hats Outdoors

Personal Care at Home in Kettering OH
Personal Care at Home in Kettering OH

Sun hats are more than just fun fashion. They provide great sun protection for your senior loved one’s face and chest. Seniors should wear sun hats that are specifically designed to block the sun’s harmful UV rays and that have a visor or some kind of extended brim that provides the maximum possible protection. It’s a smart idea to keep extra hats anywhere that your senior parent frequently spends time like in the car, in the garage, or next to the door. That way your senior loved one will always have an extra sun hat to grab if they are going to be outdoors.

Keep Skin Healthy

Seniors should be keeping their skin healthy for many reasons, but one of those reasons is to lower their chance of skin cancer. Personal care at home is a fantastic way for seniors to keep their skin healthy. A care provider that helps with personal care at home will make sure that seniors are keeping their skin clean and moisturized. They can also apply sunscreen for seniors who need help protecting their skin from the sun every day.

Avoid Going Out In The Sunniest Part Of The Day

Seniors should avoid being outdoors when the sun is at the hottest point during the day to minimize their exposure to UV rays. In most places that means that between 12 and 3 seniors should stay indoors. Or if they must go out seniors should make sure that they are fully covered with long sleeves and protected by a sun hat.

Take An Umbrella To Outdoor Events

Umbrellas don’t just protect people from rain and bad weather. Some umbrellas can also do a great job protecting people from the harmful rays of the sun. Using an umbrella on a sunny day will minimize the damage done by the sun’s UV rays hitting your senior loved one’s skin.

Source:
https://www.skincancer.org/blog/the-sun-keeps-rising-why-seniors-cant-skip-uv-protection/

If you are considering personal care at home in Kettering, OH, for an aging loved one, please contact the caring staff at Touching Hearts At Home of Dayton today at 937-558-9394.

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