Question

You are working in an Assisted Living Facility. Your resident, Mr. Gianco, age 80, asks you why he

is getting these funny brown spots on his arms. What is your response?

Answer 1

This is called solar lentigo aka liver spots and you kindly explain to the man that it is common, can be treated, and it comes with age.

Answer 2

My response would be empathic and not scientific, because Mr. Gianco is an 80 years old man, who is seeing these spots as funny.

Mr. Gianco, those funny brown spots are normal to happen when we age, it happens because the sun affects our skin, so those people who spent more time under the sun during their whole life are more likely to have these brown spots. This means Mr. Gianco that you worked so hard under the sun that you have them, they are your "war scars", and you are a warrior.

However, those brown spots are just funny, because they are harmless, it's a beautiful decoration on your skin Mr. Gianco. Don't worry about them.