The nurse provides skin care for an 81-year-old client on the rehabilitation unit. Which does the nurse implement to maintain the client's skin integrity and reduce agency expenditures?

Question

1. Applies lotion on completion of every bath
2. Limits the client showers to one every week
3. Massages swollen and tender joints with lotion
4. Bathes client with a prepackaged cleansing system

Answer 1

4
4. An older client is likely to have thin, fragile skin that tears and bruises easily, so the nurse uses a prepackaged bathing system to trap moisture and reduce skin dryness because moist, supple skin is stronger and more elastic. In addition, prepackaged bathing systems are more cost-effective because they are associated with fewer infec-tions; reduce the need for clean linen (towels), lotions, and soap; and they increase client satisfaction. Infections are reduced by eliminating cross-contamination from washbasins and enhancing skin integrity with moisture-trapping humectants.
1. The nurse applies lotion to the client's skin if it is indicated and avoids habitual application of lotion.
2. The nurse provides client hygiene according to agency policy. Limiting showers to one per week potentially increases the risk of impaired skin integrity and potential costs to the rehabilitation unit if the client develops pressure ulcers from inadequate hygiene.
3. The nurse massages the joints if it is indicated.