Tips for Protecting Your Senior from Cancer from the Sun

Senior Care in West Palm Beach FL: Tips for Protecting Your Senior from Cancer from the Sun

As a family caregiver you know how important it is to protect your aging parent’s health and safety in everything that you do. As the summer closes in and you are planning for special outdoor activities to enjoy with your family, such as beach trips, cookouts, pool afternoons, or even just walks, it is vital that you stay aware of the risks that your senior may face when spending a considerable amount of time in the sun so that together you can make decisions that will help to protect them from these risks.

June is Cancer from the Sun Month. This is the perfect time for you to review the risk of frequent exposure to the sun and learn ways that you can protect your senior, and the rest of your family, while enjoying the fun of the outdoors.

Use these tips to protect your elderly loved one from cancer from the sun:

• Avoid the middle of the day. The sun is at its most intense, and most potentially damaging, during the middle of the day. Encourage your parent to stay inside between the hours of 10 am to 4 pm. If they must be outside, seek out shade particularly during these hours.

• Cover up. When the temperature soars it is normal to try to cut down on how much you wear to stay cool. Covering up, however, protects your skin from the sun, and can actually help to keep you cooler. Choose clothing that is lightweight and light colored to help reflect the light and guard against sunburn.

• Wear sunscreen. Sunscreen is not just something that your parent should think about during the hottest months of the year or when they are going to be doing an activity outside for hours. Sun damage can happen in a matter of minutes during any time of year, so they should wear sunscreen with a minimum SPF of 30 on all exposed skin every day.

• Do not burn. Every sunburn increases the risk that your aging parent will suffer skin cancer. If they start to look flushed or complain that their skin is feeling tender, they should immediately get out of the sun and take steps to cool the skin.

Starting senior care for your aging loved one can be one of the best decisions that you can make for them in the course of your caregiver journey with them. A senior home care services provider can be with your aging loved one on a fully customized schedule that is tailored not just to their individual needs, challenges, and limitations, but also their desire to live an active, engaged, and independent lifestyle as they age in place. Through a highly personalized set of services, this care provider can help your parent manage their needs while also supporting them in finding fulfillment and meaning in this new chapter in their lives. When it comes to helping them to remain healthier, this care provider can be valuable source of support and encouragement. Simply helping them to make better lifestyle choices and providing safe and reliable transportation to where they need and want to go can be invaluable for helping your parent live the highest quality of life as they age in place. If you are concerned about your aging parent’s health or they have risk factors for particular health problems, a senior care provider can be extremely helpful. Offering your parent reminders for issues such as self-checks, sunscreen application, and good lifestyle choices, as well as being vigilant about the condition of their skin can enable this care provider to support your parent’s ongoing health and provide information to you so that you can make the health care decisions that are right for your elderly parent.

Source
https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/skin/statistics/behavior.htm
http://careinthesun.org/skin-cancer/skin-cancer-statistics/
http://www.skincancer.org/media-and-press/press-release-2012/skin-cancer-awareness-month
https://www.cancer.org/healthy/be-safe-in-sun.html

If You Or An Aging Loved One Are Considering Hiring Professional Senior Care in West Palm Beach, FL, Please Contact The Caring Staff at Assisting Hands Home Care at 561-829-3080 Today.