Also increases the chances wound rupture and infection

Age-linked dissimilarities in w ound healing have been evidently documented. Even though the elderliesare able to heal most wounds, they have a slow healing process. The inflammatory response is late. Diseases that disturb wound healing are more rampant in the elderly causing more adverse influence on healing than in young adults.Older the patient lesser is the elasticity in skin compared to the young. Skin in old people have it tough to return to its usual shape and color owing to less elasticity. Therefore, older patients have great threat of scarring after wound.

The patient should understand that it is essential to keep woundclean in order to avoid infection. Wound infections are mostly caused due to colonization of wound by bacteria where the wound is not addressed properly. The bacteria may originate from other parts of the body, ordinary flora of skin or the outside environment (Gould & Fulton, 2016). There are various risk factors to wound infections in elderly such as diabetes, repressed immune system, undernourishment etc. infected wound result in a non-healing wound leading to substantial agony and distress. A wound infected patient may experience nonspecific symptoms such as loss of appetite, malady or lessening glycemic control in diabetic patients. An infected wound typically has present of pus.

Gould, L. & Fulton, A., 2016. Wound Healing in Older Adults. US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health, 99(2), pp. 34-36.

Jaret, P., 2013. Older Adults: 9 Nutrients You May Be Missing. [Online]
Available at: https://www.webmd.com/healthy-aging/features/missing-nutrients#1
[Accessed 13 August 2018].