Dermatologic Conditions in Senior Living Communities: Insights and Impact of an On-Site Care Model

Document Type

Conference Proceeding

Publication Date

8-2026

Publication Title

Journal of Investigative Dermatology

Abstract

Older adults in senior living communities (SLCs) face a high burden of dermatologic disease, yet often lack consistent access to care due to physical limitations, cognitive decline, and logistical constraints. However, the dermatologic needs of this population remain poorly defined. To address this gap and inform future efforts to optimize geriatric care delivery, this study characterizes the conditions encountered through a mobile, on-site dermatology model serving 57 SLCs across Southeast Michigan. This retrospective, cross-sectional study analyzed all dermatologic diagnoses from visits conducted between September 2023 and May 2025, with demographics and clinical findings extracted from patient charts. Among 1,013 patients, 23,403 total dermatologic diagnoses were made. The most common diagnostic classes were neoplastic (58.75%), pigmentary (17.08%), and inflammatory (8.55%). Frequent diagnoses included seborrheic keratosis, hyperpigmentation, and actinic keratosis. Symptomatic dermatoses were common, including seborrheic dermatitis (n=818), xerosis cutis (n=631) atopic dermatitis (n=285), nummular dermatitis (n=126), and psoriasis (n=162). Skin cancers totaled 431 cases (55.68% basal cell carcinoma, 42.46% squamous cell carcinoma, 1.86% melanoma). These findings demonstrate the high prevalence of dermatologic disease among SLC residents, with a notable incidence of malignancies and chronic inflammatory conditions. Importantly, many of these conditions are symptomatic and associated with overlooked physical and psychological burdens in SLC residents – yet they are often highly manageable when identified early. By bringing evaluation and treatment directly to residents, on-site models offer an effective strategy to overcome care barriers and facilitate timely dermatologic care for this vulnerable population, highlighting the model’s potential to meaningfully improve geriatric care.

Volume

146

Issue

8 Suppl

First Page

S34

Last Page

S34

Comments

Society for Investigative Dermatology (SID) Annual Meeting, May 13-16, 2026, Chicago, IL

DOI

10.1016/j.jid.2026.06.220

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