Pressure Injury Prevention Considerations for Older Adults

There are well-documented physiologic changes that occur in the human body during the aging process, such as decreased body fat, decreased muscle mass, cellular senescence, changes in skin pH, decreased metabolism, decreased immune function, vascular changes, altered tissue perfusion, nutritional status changes, and poor hydration. These changes affect skin integrity and wound healing, and raise the risk of pressure-related skin injury. This article discusses aging as a risk factor for pressure injury (PrI). Topics include evidence for advancing age as a significant PrI risk factor, identifying pathophysiologic changes/mechanisms of aging, and specific PrI preventive interventions to consider in older adults.