A nurse is caring for an older client and educating the student nurse on assessing the skin. The student nurse knows that an older clients’ skin is most likely to experience which of the following changes with aging?

A. Iliness of the skin: While older adults are more susceptible to various skin conditions and illnesses (e.g., skin cancers, infections, pruritus), "illness of the skin" is a broad and general term that doesn't describe a physiological change in the skin's structure due to aging. It describes a pathological state rather than a normal aging process. B. Thinning of the epidermis: With aging, the epidermis becomes thinner, making the skin more fragile and susceptible to injury, bruising, and slower wound healing. This change also contributes to increased transparency and decreased protection against environmental damage. C. Thickening of the epidermis: The epidermis generally thins rather than thickens with age. Thickening may occur in localized areas due to repeated trauma but is not a characteristic of normal aging skin. D. Increased elasticity of the skin: Aging causes a loss of skin elasticity due to decreased collagen and elastin production. This results in wrinkles and sagging rather than increased elasticity.