Use pillows and blankets to protect and support arms and legs. Recommend that your patients wear long sleeves and pants to add a layer of protection. Use paper tape or a nonadherent dressing on frail skin and remove it gently. Or use stockinette, gauze wrap, or any other similar type of wrap instead of tape to secure dressings and drains. Apply a moisturizing agent to dry skin to keep it adequately hydrated.
Creams are better than lotions.
Provide a well-lit environment to minimize the risk of patients bumping into equipment or furniture. If a patient develops a skin tear despite your efforts at instituting preventive measures, your goal is to help the injury heal with the least amount of trauma. Research has yet to show us the optimum treatment for skin tears, so most institutions develop their own protocol based on existing research. Allow the area to air dry or pat carefully to dry. Provide appropriate topical wound care, such as a moist wound dressing.