Skin Diseases among the Old Age Residents in a Nursing Home: A Neglected Problem

Abstract

Background. Geriatric health care has become a worldwide concern, but a few statistical studies were carried out about skin diseases in this age group in the nursing home of Iran. Aims. In this study, we set out to determine the frequency as well as the age and gender distribution of dermatological diseases in nursing home old age residents. Methods. In a cross-sectional study, all patients over 60 years who were living in a charity nursing home complex of Rasht in 2017 participated in this study. Baseline information on sociodemographic variables, past medical history, and medication were gathered by medical staff during a face-to-face interview. Full-body skin examination was done by dermatologists. Biopsy, and pathological and laboratory methods were used to confirm the diagnosis of suspected lesions or disease. Results. In this study, 259 people underwent the study. 52.9% were male, and their mean age was 73.5 years (SD = 9.1 years). Hypertension (20.9%); diabetes mellitus (9.7%), and hypothyroidism (2.3%) were the most common underlying diseases. Most of them (85.7%) had age-related skin changes. The benign neoplasm was the most common skin disease among patients (68.3%), followed by infectious diseases (46.3%) and erythemo-squamous (31.6%). None of them had precancerous lesions or skin cancers. There were not any differences between skin disorders and gender or age groups in this study. Conclusion. Our study suggests that skin manifestations and diseases are common among nursing home old age residents in this area. Therefore, this should constitute one of the top priorities of aged care physicians and nurses.

Cultural and Ethical Barriers to Cancer Treatment in Nursing Homes and Educational Strategies: A Scoping Review

“…This category includes nine studies distributed in two subcategories: screening and diagnostic tests [ 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 ].…”

“…Four studies evaluated screening habits in nursing homes for oral, skin, and breast cancers [ 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 ].…”

“…With a full-body skin examination by dermatologists followed by appropriate methods to confirm the diagnosis of suspected lesions, it was found that benign neoplasm was the most common disease (68.3%) among patients. None of them had precancerous lesions or skin cancers, which can be explained by a low mean age (73.5 years) [ 16 ].…”

Evaluation of Geriatric Patients Admitted to the Dermatology Outpatient Clinic for Treatment of Facial Dermatosis: A Retrospective Study

“…ith the development of health care and technologies, the management strategies of chronic diseases have also increased. The resulting extension of average human life expectancy has thus caused an increase in the elderly population (1). The number of elderly people is increasing day by day all over the world, and it is estimated that one fifth of the entire population will consist of individuals aged 65 and over by 2050 (2).…”

“…This process affects changes in the skin as it does throughout all organ systems. Wrinkles, coarsening and changes in elasticity occur in the skin, while the frequency of some dermatological diseases increases and/or their presentations change (1). Skin lesions in visible areas such as the face and hands undeniably have considerable negative effects on people (3).…”